


The Power He Knows Not

by mpdh_16



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Deathly Hallows AU, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:15:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 41,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21522808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mpdh_16/pseuds/mpdh_16
Summary: Draco was expecting a lot of things to happen to him during the War. Yes, he was scared, but he was ready for everything. Well, almost everything... What he had never ever dreamt to expect was Harry Potter rescuing him from the claws of the Dark Lord with the help of Draco's own Godfather.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 32
Kudos: 102





	1. Chapter one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2019/11/22

** Chapter One  
**

Draco was in his rooms at the Malfoy Manor, sitting at his desk and trying to write an answer to Pansy's last letter when the door to his bedroom suddenly burst open, letting his Godfather promptly came in.

"Pack your things, now," he said throwing a little trunk in front of him. Draco stared at it for a moment and then lifted his gaze up only to see an irritable impatience on the other man's face. "Did someone stun you? Or have you recently become fond of pretending to be a member of the Crabbe family?" the man sneered.

"What the hell is going on, Severus? Are we leaving? Or why do I need to pack? And what do I need to pack?"

"Only the most necessary things, and be quick, Draco."

Draco wasn't really used to disobeying his Godfather's orders, so he just went to his wardrobe and took a few robes and a couple of his favorite black button-up shirts. He put them in the trunk and watched them disappearing into its depths. So, there were the Extension Charms on this trunk. Draco thought it was good and threw more shirts, a couple of t-shirts, jumpers, and a few trousers in it as well as a book from his nightstand and a few bottles of ink and a set of quills from his drawer.

"Is that all?" Severus asked him from where he was standing near the door to the bathroom.

"Bathroom!" Draco cried out a little more loudly than it was actually necessary and went in to take all his hair potions and French soaps.

"For the name of Merlin, Draco! I told you just to pack the essentials, there is no time for your girlish habits!" he heard Severus' voice from the doorway.

Draco gave him a hard glare and walked back to the trunk to place in it all his things he just took from the bathroom.

"Is that all now?" Severus asked him again.

"Tell me what is going on."

"There is no time for this," Severus cast a couple of charms on the trunk and took it before he started walking out of Draco's room. "I think you should hurry if you are keen enough to go out of it alive".

"Out of– Alive? What– Severus! You can't just–" Draco understood nothing and he felt a wave of panic starting to rise inside of him. "Tell me now, or I'm not going anywhere," he said taking a step back.

"Foolish kid," he heard Severus muttered, he gripped Draco's elbow and dragged him into the hall. "There is no time for your whims! I need to get you save before he, or someone else, is back. I gave a vow to your mother."

"Mother?" Draco blinked stupidly. "Will she go with us? And what about father? And will you finally tell me where are we going and why?"

"Do you really need an answer why?" the man asked him in a dry voice.

"Then where? And what about my parents?"

"Your father will never leave _him_ , I think you are very aware of it. And Narcissa refused to leave your father, so they both stay–"

Draco's blood ran cold when he thought about his mother being here on her own, not as Draco could do much to protect her from whatever she might be threatened with, but...

"I'm not leaving mother! Severus, you don't understand, he'll kill her!" he cried hysterically. He pulled his arm away, turned around and hurried back into his room, but Severus managed to hold him firmly by the wrist.

"You are leaving," he said slowly. "And you are doing it now. Your parents are not here, no one is here right now. Lucius is with Dark Lord, as well as almost everyone, including your mother; I arranged a little task for her. Don't worry, it is perfectly safe, she won't be in any danger and she won't be near the battle–"

"Battle?"

"Yes. So they both have a perfect alibi and hopefully Dark Lord won't punish them for your disappearance. I am supposed to try to find a way to get into Hogwarts, since one of the Vanishing Cabinets is missing. And I am supposed to do it secretly, so no one would be seeing me anyway. We are leaving, Draco. Both of your parents are capable of taking care of themselves and your mother made her decision. She wants you save, this is all that matters now." And he started to walk down the hall still holding Draco by the wrist.

"What battle were you talking about, Severus?" they were hurrying down the main staircase now and Draco was panting a little.

"Dark Lord is trying to capture the Ministry of Magic".

"What? Oh, Merlin! And my mother is there?!"

"She is not. And you better don't know anything about her whereabouts as well as she won't know anything about yours. It will be more save for both of you."

Severus cast an impressively strong Disillusionment Charms on both of them before they went through the main doors and almost ran down the path to the big iron gates. Draco couldn't stop worrying about his mother, but Severus once again assured him that she wasn't and wouldn't be in any danger.

As soon as they went through the gates Draco felt the familiar twist of apparition and then they were standing in the dark alley probably somewhere in muggle London.

"Where are we?" Draco asked looking around nervously and following Severus who was already walking down the street. But he didn't answer, just stopped near some strange muggle houses and handed Draco a little piece of parchment.

"Read," was all he said.

Draco read what happened to be an address and then watched how an old massive gloomy house was slowly appearing between two muggle ones.

"Is that how Fidelius Charms work?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, it is," Severus started to walk up the stairs. "Try to be quiet in the hall," he told him before he pushed the large wooden door and came into the house, Draco quickly followed him in.

The hall was dark and narrow, there was smell of dust and dampness, and Draco wondered what kind of place it might be. Could it be Severus' secret house or something like that?

They walked to the big staircase in the end of the hall and Draco followed Severus down the stairs and found himself in surprisingly clean, bright and warm large kitchen.

"Mister Snape."

Draco jumped on the sound of the loud creaking voice and almost drew his wand out of his sleeve, but it was just ugly wrinkled house elf, bowing in front of Severus and muttering something under his breath.

"Go find your Master and get him here as soon as possible," Severus said. "Take a sit, Draco," he told Draco when a strange elf disappeared with a loud crack.

"Whose house is it?" Draco asked sitting down on one of the chairs at the large wooden table.

"You will see."

"Can't you tell me? Do I know them?"

"You will see," Severus said again and put a trunk with Draco's things on one of the benches standing along the wall near the large fireplace.

"You're not a Master of this elf, are you?" Draco asked.

"No, I am not," Severus sat at the table across from him.

"Then why did it listen to your order?"

"Because the Master of this elf gave it an order to obey me, obviously."

"Why?"

Severus glared at him with irritation, but he didn't have time to answer, because of the sound of a loud crack somewhere behind Draco.

"–ur fucking Master, for fuck's sake! My orders come first!"

Draco, who started to turn, froze in the place on the sound of this voice; his heart began to beat faster and an odd mixed feeling of fear, relief and excitement ran through him.

"Do us a favor, mind your language, Potter," he heard his Godfather saying calmly.

"What the fucking hell, Snape? I had to leave Ron and Hermione in some– Oh, Malfoy."

Then there were a few moments of silence except for the elf's grumbled muttering. 

"Do shut up already, Kreacher!" Potter demanded loudly and muttering stopped. "How can I be sure this is really him?" he came to the table and was looking at Severus suspiciously.

"Don't you trust me enough?" Severus smirked at him unpleasantly.

"Absolutely not, Snape," Potter glared at Severus and then, to Draco's surprise, snorted a little.

"Ask him something only he knows."

"Er, um..."

"Eloquent as always, Potter."

Potter glared at Severus once more and then turned his head to Draco. And Draco turned to look at him too and sucked an unsteady breath.

Potter's surprisingly nice dress robe was covered in a large amount of blood. His robe wasn't buttoned and Draco could see that his white shirt was torn on the side and soaked in blood as well. Potter clearly was in a battle and he was caught with some nasty hex, but he stood here like it was nothing.

There were blood traces down his neck, disappearing under the collar of his shirt. His messy black hair was covered in some blood too and was even messier than usual.

But his eyes were clear and bright green as always. He was watching Draco's face intently. Then their gazes met and Draco swallowed nervously.

"Where and when was the first time we met each other?" Potter asked.

"Madam Malkin's robe shop, thirty first of July, nineteen-ninety-one," Draco said without a second of hesitation. He could be embarrassed by his so quick and precise answer, but this situation was already weird enough, so he decided not to bother.

Potter didn't answer and just continued holding Draco's gaze. Severus cleared his throat and they both turned to him.

"Is that enough?" the man asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I suppose so," was Potter's answer. "Kreacher!" he called for the elf after a few seconds of silence. "Go back to where you found me and tell Ron and Hermione to wait for me in somewhere safe, say them I'm alright and I will send them a Patronus when I'm done."

"You are absolutely not alright, Potter."

Draco watched how Severus stood up from his chair and came to Potter. He made him sit on one of the chairs and take his robe off, and then he was waving his wand over all of Potter's body, murmuring some diagnostic and healing spells.

"What happened?" Severus asked him.

"Did you know about the Ministry?"

"I did."

"And you didn't tell me?" Potter shouted and made an attempt to stand on his feet, but Severus' hand on his shoulder made him wince and sit back.

"I did not have time and I was busy with Draco."

"They tortured and killed Scrimgeour," Potter said bitterly. "Now Ministry is under Riddle's total control. Why didn't you tell me? We could try to stop it, we could–"

"Cancel the wedding?"

"No, but–"

"There are no buts, Potter. That was not the information I could tell you without putting myself in danger," Potter was about to say something, but Severus continued talking. "You and your amount of Weasleys had a wedding to worry about, and I had Draco to trying to rescue, none of us–" he was interrupted by elf's appearance.

"Kreacher did as his Master told him, but Mudbl–"

"I forbade you to use this word!" Potter shouted again.

Elf bowed his head to Potter and muttered something again. "Master's girl required Kreacher to get her and the Weasley boy to the Master, but Kreacher rejected her," he said and then continued his weird muttering.

"She is not my girl, her name is Hermione, and you can call her that or rather Miss Granger," Potter said angrily while Severus was trying to unbutton his shirt.

"Kreacher never will call a Mud– someone like her Miss! What my poor Mistress would be saying if she knew that her poor Kreacher must listen to stupid Half-blood's ord–"

"Go to Hogwarts!" Potter shouted once again.

Severus managed to take Potter's bloody shirt off of him, and Potter closed his eyes and set back in the chair, relaxing, while Severus was touching his bare chest and stomach with his hands and his wand, muttering spells.

Draco felt like he was about to forget how to breath, unable to look away from Severus' pale and long fingers on Potter's almost naked tanned body. The way those fingers were running gently over the side of Potter's flat stomach and making Potter's muscles flex under the touch made Draco's head spinning.

"What kind of universe is this?" he heard his own amused and a little breathless voice.

Severus ignored him, but Potter opened his enormously green eyes and stared at him. Draco tried to look away but Severus' hands found their way into Potter's black hair and were running through them carefully tilting Potter's head to the side for a better access to his injury.

Draco thought maybe it was he who had a head injury and he was simply hallucinating while lying on his bed in his room at the Manor. 

Potter licked his lips and suddenly Draco's stomach made a loud growled sound.

"Are you hungry, Malfoy?" Potter asked frowning.

"I am afraid I made him miss the dinner," Severus said, answering for him.

Potter reach out for his robe and took his wand out of the pocket; he waved it muttering something and a corner of the kitchen filled with sounds. Draco turned around to see the kettle starting to boil and the knife slicing bread.

"Were you somewhere near the Ministry or did it happen on the wedding?" he heard Severus asked Potter and look at them in time to see his Godfather gently wiping away traces of blood from Potter's neck and shoulder with some wet cloth.

"None," Potter winced a little when Severus touched the cut on the left side of his ribs. "Wedding was a nasty hell, to be honest, but Kingsley managed to warn us in time, so many were able to escape. But there was a lot of panic and someone was trying to assault the Burrow. Mad Eye was injured rather badly, I don't know if he's okay now, I hope Weasleys took him with them..."

Severus wiped his hands and started to get potions phials from his countless robe pockets, while Potter stood up, walked to the kitchen counter and started to make sandwiches with ham and cheese.

"We were able to repel the attack and all Weasleys are in a safe house now. But someone got me with this stupid cutting spell while I was helping Ginny to get Gabrielle – Fleur's sister – and one of Fleur's little cousins out of falling tent."

Draco turned a little more in his chair and was watching Potter while he was talking. The sight of his naked back and the way his muscles were moving under his bronze skin made Draco feel things he shouldn't and he looked away quickly only to find himself under the dark glare of his Godfather. He felt his face flushing red and turned to stare at the table.

"Ron and Hermione found me later and we apparated out of there. Ginny saw us, and she understood what it means, I mean, that we're not going back... She– she knows I need some things to do."

Draco heard footsteps and then Potter's hand came to his vision and placed a plate full of good-looking sandwiches in front of him. Draco stared at it trying to put in his head a fact that shirtless Harry Potter had just prepared him a dinner. A minute later the same hand reappeared with two cups of steaming tea.

Draco looked up at Potter who waved his wand and a tray with sugar and milk on it appeared on the table.

"Drink and do continue," Severus said handing Potter two phials of what Draco thought were Blood-Replenishing Potion and Invigoration Draught. "Eat, Draco," the man said turning to him and walking to sit on the other side of the table.

Draco took a bite from the sandwich and started chewing it, watching Potter, who took a small sip of the Invigoration Draught and then put it in his trousers pocket along with untouched phial of Blood-Replenishing Potion. Severus turned to look at him and Potter started putting his still torn and bloody shirt and robe on, buttoning quickly.

"Hermione apparated us in some woods, we were walking and talking, and then they appeared out of nowhere, Death Eaters. I really have no idea how they found us... It was four of them and they've gone absolutely mad when they realized it was us. And that was a real fight... We were trying not to let them to summon their fucking Master and they– they were trying to– to kill Hermione," Potter closed his eyes and take a deep breath.

Draco watched him carefully while sipping his tea.

"I take it you managed to escape?" Severus asked in a very soft voice which was very unusual for him. Draco turned to look at him; he was watching Potter very intently too.

"Yeah," Potter opened his eyes and leaned on the table heavily. "I shouted to Ron to take her and apparate away, and she took me with them last moment. We landed in a dark small alley somewhere in a muggle town I suppose, and then Kreacher appeared and took me with him without any explanations. Can I just take them here, please?"

"We have already talked about it, Potter, I thou–"

"But there is a real fucking war going on now! Hermione is in a great danger for being a Muggleborn and being close to me! So is Ron, just because he's with me! And I have a safe fucking house, and can't protect them! Why?" Potter was yelling at Severus who was calmly drinking his own tea.

And Draco simply decided to give up and not trying to make any sense out of this entire situation. He took another sandwich, leaned back in his chair and looked over to Potter's angry face.

"How are you going to explain them everything?" Severus asked him slowly and quietly and Draco knew he was angry and irritated too. "How do you think they will be reacting on Draco, on me? Do you really think they will believe you? Will believe me or Draco?"

"They're my friends, 'course they'll bloody believe me!"

"Draco let Death Eaters into Hogwarts and I am the one who killed Albus Dumbledore and they are very aware of it, if you have forgotten these simple facts."

"Why is it more important to have Malfoy here than protecting my friends?" Potter continued his shouting and Draco mused really why.

"We have already talked about it as well, Potter," Severus repeated himself.

"Well, maybe you're a Secret fucking Keeper–"

"Language, Potter!"

"–but it's still me who owns this damned fucking place, and I can throw him out right this fucking moment!" Potter shouted pointing his finger on chewing Draco, who swallowed hard and looked at Severus with clear panic in his eyes. "You will allow access to Ron and Hermione, Snape," Potter continued in a low voice, "Or I'll do it now."

To Draco's horror Severus simply stood up without a single word and went out of the kitchen and out of the house as well.

"Fuck you!" Potter shouted after him angrily.

Then he took out his wand and Draco closed his eyes and prepared for the worst. But all he heard in a few moments was a soft murmur: "To Hermione Granger. How can I find you?"

Draco opened his eyes in time to see a magnificent foggy silver stag disappearing through the kitchen wall. He looked at Potter who went to a pantry and started to shove various foods in some muggle backpack.

"You're not going to throw me out, are you?" Draco asked him, trying to remove trembling from his voice.

"No," Potter said, and then some things happened at the same time.

Potter dropped his backpack on the floor and fell on his knees beside it, grasping his forehead. "He knows," he whispered through gritted teeth and then he started to scream.

At the same time a silver otter appeared and said: "Be in the place where you left us in a five, Ron will come to fetch you," in Granger's voice.

An otter hadn't dissolved yet, as Draco heard a loud crack and the ugly elf was saying something about an urgent massage for his Master.

Draco was already on his feet but he had absolutely no idea what was going on and what to do, so he started panicking. His brain probably shut down for a while, because the next thing he knew was that he was sitting on the floor in front of screaming Potter and trying to pull his hands off his face and shouting to him to come to himself. The fucking elf was still saying something and Draco shouted at him to shut up.

"He knows, Draco," he heard Severus' voice and looked up to see his doe Patronus standing in the middle of the kitchen. "There are Pain-Relieving Potions in a last kitchen cabinet, but don't drink too much, I will come as soon as I can."

Potter fell back on a floor and was still screaming like under Cruciatus; his elf was still trying to say something to him. Draco stood up and went to take a potion, thinking how for the name of Merlin he would be able to make Potter drink it, and suddenly his left forearm felt like a thousand needles were stuck in it and like it was on fire at the same time.

Draco fell on his knees too, and gritted his teeth trying to stop himself from screaming out loud, but he wasn't able to stop some tears falling down his cheeks.

He half-crawled to the kitchen counter and reached for the last cabinet's door trying very hard not to cry too loudly. He took a small purple phial and knocked its contents into his mouth with a quick movement of his hand. He immediately felt much better, though he still could feel the burning in his Dark Mark.

The next moment he became aware of the fact that Potter wasn't screaming anymore and glanced at his direction. Potter was trying to sit up while his stupid elf was standing next to him muttering something again. But Potter waved him away, his green eyes running over the kitchen.

He looked a little surprised when he spotted Draco standing near the kitchen counter. Draco thought that maybe he had already forgotten Draco was here. So Potter's next question caught him off guard.

"Are you alright?" he said in a hoarse voice, watching Draco with intent gaze.

"Erm, yes, why?"

"He was going to torture you through your Mark," he glanced at Draco's left arm. "Didn't you feel something?"

"I– Yes– I took the potion."

"Potion?"

"There are Pain-Relieving Potions in the last cabinet, Severus sent a Patronus–" Draco fell silent when he remembered words Potter was saying before he started screaming. He said 'he knows'. How was Potter aware of it even before Severus knew? And why in hell was he screaming so hard?

"It's good," Potter said, "I don't think Snape will be here anytime soon, Vold–"

"Don't say that name, you stupid Half-blood! Didn't you listen to what Kreacher was saying to you?" Potter's elf cried out loudly, interrupting him. Potter stared at his elf. "This name is forbidden! Kreacher was told to warn his stupid Master not to use it anymore. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named placed a Taboo Curse on his name! Say it and his Death Eaters will know your location immediately and all the protective charms will be ruined at once!"

"Fuck," Potter muttered. "So that's how they found us in those bloody woods."

There were some moments of silence and then pain in Draco's arm was suddenly back and he leaned on a kitchen counter heavily. Potter was grasping his forehead again and he was unusually pale, but he stood up and looked at Draco worriedly.

"Sorry it took me so long, but I was so angry and irritated with Snape and it just caught me off guard. And he managed to feel me, so he just–"

Draco didn't have any idea what Potter was talking about and wanted to say him to stop his stupid bubbling, as he was cut off by someone's dog Patronus appearance.

"Are you alright, mate?" the Weasel's voice said. "I'm waiting for you about ten minutes, are you even going to come? You know, Hermione will kill me if I'd be back without you, so you better hurry."

"Fuck," Potter muttered again.

"Um, while you've been... out... There– there was–," it was hard for Draco to speak and to think properly, so he drank another dose of Pain-Relieving Potion and it helped. "There was Granger's Patronus, she was saying you to come to a place when you left them, Weasley should be waiting for you there," Draco said to Potter awkwardly.

Potter just blinked at him and then waved his wand.

" _Expecto Patronum!_ " his silver stag appeared in front of him and Potter reached his hand to touch its neck lightly. "To Ronald Weasley. Sorry, I had another vision, but I'm okay now. I'll be here in a couple of minutes. I've got food."

"You are not okay, Potter."

"Oh, Merlin, not you too," Potter snorted. "I have it under control now. I can actually Occlude, but I want to know what's going on there. Kreacher! Kreacher, take Malfoy's things to my old room. Bring clean towels, some big bowl and a jar with cold water as well. And don't go anywhere." Potter walked to where Draco stood and was taking potions from the shelf while he was talking; he put one phial into his pocket, and held others in his hands.

"What did you mean you can Occlude? Occlude from what exactly?" Draco asked him, following him out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Potter didn't answer. He leaded Draco to a second floor and down the dark gloomy hallway into a nice room with two big beds.

"Choose the bed, you're better be lying," Potter said.

"In which one have you slept?" Draco asked him.

Potter gestured with his head to a bed in the corner of the room near the window. Draco sighed and walked to a bed to an opposite wall. He sat down on it and looked at stupidly grinning Potter.

"What?" he snapped at him.

"This one was Ron's," Potter said still grinning.

Draco stood up sharply, gave him the darkest glare he managed to muster and went to the other – _Potter's_ – bed. Potter went after him, but he wasn't grinning anymore and his expression became rather painful again.

"We should hurry," he said placing potion phials on the nightstand. "He's talking to Snape right now, but I don't think Snape could distract him any longer," Potter was dragging a coffee table with water and towels on it to the bed.

"Distract him from what?" Draco asked watching him.

"From torturing you."

"From– What? Potter!"

"What?"

"How do you know what's going on? And you're talking about the Dark Lord, aren't you?"

"Yeah, him," Potter wetted his hand in the jar and pressed his palm to the scar on his forehead. "Oh, it's good," he moaned sitting on the floor and laying his head on the bed near Draco's thigh and closed his eyes.

"Potter, I do hope you're not going to sleep here," Draco said to him quietly.

"No," Potter answered and next second he was walking quickly to a dresser on the other side of the window. He was searching for something there as Granger's silver otter appeared again.

"Harry, what did happen to you? What did you mean another vision? Are you okay, Harry? Where are you? How can we help?" it said in Granger's anxious voice.

Draco's arm started burning again and he lay down on the bed and watched Potter conjuring his Patronus and assuring Granger that everything was fine and he would be going soon.

Then Potter came to him and placed a small tube on the bedside table. He was saying something but Draco couldn't catch his words, he was just staring into his green worried eyes helplessly.

Then he felt something cold and wet against his left forearm and pain and burning went away a little. He looked at his arm and saw Potter pressing a wet towel over his Dark Mark.

Potter slowly lifted his hand to Draco's face and carefully brushed some tears from Draco's cheeks with his thumb.

"Do you think you need another potion?" Potter asked him then and Draco reached for one of the phials with his right hand and drunk an elixir quickly.

"There is a Burn-Healing paste just in case," Potter said gesturing to the small tube on the bedside table and rubbing his scar with his free hand. "I don't know what he's going to do to you, and what he really can do. I mean, through the Mark. He wanted to find you but he can't because of the wards on the house. But he can still torture you through it, and he was saying to your father that he'd torture you to death. But it's not gonna happen, you know, right? Snape will help you and I will do all I can too."

He changed the towel while he was talking and Draco was suddenly very aware of the feeling of Potter's hands on his bare skin.

Potter's hands were big and rough, but warm and surprisingly very gentle. He was holding Draco's arm in one of his hands and carefully pressing a wet towel on Draco's Mark with the other. It was hard not to think about how nice and soothing his touch felt.

"Why are you doing it, Potter?" Draco asked him watching his concentrated face, but Potter didn't answer. "Aren't Granger and Weasley waiting for you?"

"Snape will come soon and you probably won't see me in a long time, so don't worry. Your Mark is burning."

"It's not– I didn't mean it like that, I just can't understand why are you helping me."

"Lay still," Potter told him. He changed the towel again and was trying to cast a Cooling charm on Draco's forearm, but it wasn't actually working, though Draco almost didn't feel the pain.

"Do you have some sort of connection with the Dark Lord?" Draco tried to ask again after a few minutes of silence.

"I do. I can see through his eyes."

"W-what? How?"

"I just kinda find myself in his mind or something like that and can see with his eyes. And I can feel his emotions when they're strong enough. It's like– it's like I am him or he is me, I don't know... It's very creepy and not so pleasant, but it helps sometimes."

Potter cast a Cooling charm on the water while he was talking and pressed an almost frosty towel to Draco's Mark. It was much better and Draco said that to Potter who gave him very tired but surprisingly warm smile in return.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, WHERE IN THE MERLIN'S NAME ARE YOU? ANSWER ME RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" They both jumped of the sound of Granger's loud and frightening voice, coming from her small silver otter.

"Shit," Potter muttered to himself. "How am I even supposed to explain something to them?"

"It'll be better if you just–" Draco started to talk, but was cut off by Weasley's Patronus.

"Hermione's going mad, mate. You know I'll better wait for you all night than go to her alone, but you should hurry up anyway." Weasley's voice was saying.

Potter changed a towel on Draco's arm again and called for his elf. "I should go now," he told to Kreacher. "You cannot say anyone about Malfoy; you must look after him while Snape isn't here, just keep water cold and make compresses on his arm. He's staying here and you must cook meals for him and clean after him if it's necessary. Don't let him into Sirius' room and out of the house. You can come if he'd call you, but I forbid you to follow his orders unless he's in mortal danger. Is it clear?"

"Yes, it is, Master."

"Good. Well... I'll be going now," Potter glanced at Draco, stood up and started walking out of the room.

"Will you come again soon?" Draco's mouth said before he could stop the words.

"I don't know," Potter stopped in a doorway. "I think I should come sometimes, for food and for news from Snape. He will be here often enough, so..."

"It's not– I mean–" Draco cut himself off when a new wave of burning pain passed through his left forearm again. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes trying not to scream.

"Change a towel, Kreacher, quickly! Make water as cold as possible!" Draco heard Potter's voice. He felt small elf's hands on his own hand, and then a feeling of a frosty towel on his Mark made the pain go away a little.

"I hope Snape will know what to do to make it less painful," he heard Potter's soft voice again.

Then familiar warm hands were gently stroking his hair from his forehead and carefully pressing a cool towel there too.

Draco exhaled with a great relief, and then he passed out.

~

When Draco opened his eyes it took him a few moments to remember what had happened and where he was. He lifted his left hand and saw that his Mark was covered with some sort of a cloth soaked in a strong-smelling orange salve. He didn't feel the burning anymore, but he thought he still could feel small echoes of a previous pain.

He tried to sit up in bed and saw Severus sitting in the big armchair in the middle of the room.

The man lifted his gaze from an old book he was reading and looked at Draco intently. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Where is Potter?" Draco said before he could stop himself.

"Why?" Severus asked in a strange voice.

"The last I remember he was there and he was helping me," he mumbled trying not to sound so embarrassed.

"Indeed, his help was quite decent and thoughtful. I'm not sure you could handle this situation if you were alone... According to his ghoulish elf, Potter left not long after midnight, an hour before I was finally free to come here. So, how are you feeling, Draco?"

"I think I'm alright, no pain and no burning. Why did Potter help me?" Draco asked thinking about how Potter managed to deal with his hysterical friends after staying here almost for three hours instead of a couple of minutes he had promised to them.

"You aren't able to not talk about Harry Potter more than in five minutes, are you?" Severus rolled his eyes. "Your mother's words, not mine, so don't glare at me like this. And do not think about this too much, it is just the way Potter is. He simply helps if he can. He is too much of a Gryffindor and too much like his mother."

"You knew his mother?" Draco wondered.

"I did." Severus said quietly.

He stood up and walked to Draco's – _or more accurately_ _Potter's_ – bed. He leaned over Draco's left arm and started muttering spells.

"I might admit, it could be much worse if it wasn't for Potter's cooling compresses," he said after a couple of minutes. "And if it wasn't for the Burn-Healing paste he left for you and the remnants of the mind of his elf, your arm might be looking like a burnt piece of meat now. Dark Lord took your flight very close to his heart and I'm sure he is not done with you yet."

"Potter was saying that Dark Lord told to my father he's going to torture me to death through my Mark. Can he really do this?" Draco asked nervously, watching Severus who was carefully wiping his arm with a wet clean towel. Draco's Dark Mark looked bright red against his slightly pink burned skin.

"I believe he can, Draco," the man answered and started putting a new layer of orange paste on Draco's forearm. "But I am not going to let him to achieve it," he added with a confidence in his voice.

Draco closed his eyes and was trying not to think about what would've happened if Potter had been already gone by the time burning started. He thought about Potter's warm and big gentle hands, while Severus was wrapping his arm in a new clean cloth.

"Are father and mother alright?"

"They are. I'm not telling you anything about them, so don't ask. It is better for you and for them to know as little as possible."

Draco sighed and looked at the window; to his surprise it was already bright out there. "What time is it?" he asked.

"About eight in the morning."

"Did you even sleep?"

"I did. I think it is time for you to get up. Bathroom is the second door on the left down the hall. I will be waiting for you in the kitchen." Severus stood up and walked out of the room.

Draco got up from the bed and looked around the room. He spotted a trunk with his clothes under the window near his – _Potter's_ – bed, and walked to it to take some fresh shirt and trousers. He suddenly realized that he didn't take any pyjamas from home and wondered what in the name of Merlin he would be sleeping in.

He went to the bathroom and washed his face and tried to comb his hair as good as it was possible without a gel, which, to his great annoyance, he left at home too.

  
Severus had already finished his breakfast and was drinking coffee when Draco showed up at the kitchen almost thirty minutes later.

"I see you took your time," the man muttered.

Draco just scowled at him and sat in one of the chairs. A moment later a plate with French omelet with melted cheese appeared on the table in front of him.

"What in Merlin's name does it mean?" he heard Severus' amused voice. "Don't eat it," he said to confused Draco.

"Why?"

"Kreacher!" Severus called for Potter's ugly house elf instead of answering him. "What is this?" he pointed at Draco's plate when the elf appeared.

"This is the breakfast for young Master Black," the elf answered bowing to Draco and muttering something under his breath.

"Why on earth did you make him a breakfast?" Severus sounded very amused, and Draco couldn't understand why, it was just an elf's job after all.

"Kreacher's Half-blood Master gave Kreacher an order to prepare every meal for young Master Black as well as to clean after him," elf said somehow proudly.

Severus sighed. "You may go back to Hogwarts," he said and elf disappeared with a loud crack.

"Can I eat now?" Draco asked in a slight irritation.

"You can," Severus said and continued to drink his coffee.

"So may I ask something?" Draco said after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"You may try."

"Why Potter wasn't surprised when he saw me here yesterday?" Draco asked, ignoring Severus' eye-roll when he heard Potter's name.

"Because he and I were discussing this opportunity for a while now. It took me surprisingly a little amount of time to convince him that you should be here. Potter and his little group of friends had some plans for this place too and he didn't want to change them," Severus leaned back in his chair and waved his wand sending his plate and cup to the sink.

"So you're saying he's changed his plans because of me?"

"He was not happy about this situation, obviously. But you are here, aren't you?"

It was pure misery for Draco why Potter had helped him. As far as Draco knew Potter was very aware of Draco's task at Hogwarts and about Draco's weak actions and unsuccessful attempts to achieve this task.

Draco also couldn't understand in what kind of relationship Severus and Potter were, and when and how they started to cooperate with each other.

"Do you know that he can see with the Dark Lord's eyes?" Draco asked when he finished his breakfast too.

"And by 'he' you mean...?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Potter, who else could I mean."

"Who else, indeed," Severus muttered. "And yes, I do know this fact."

"How is that possible?"

"I am not going to discuss it with you, Draco."

"Why the hell not?"

Severus just gave him a pointed look and stood up from the table saying that he needed to go to the library.

Draco decided to go to his – _Potter's_ – room and read a book which he wisely took from home with him. It was a romance novel that Pansy gave him in the end of their school year, and reading it had helped him to keep his thoughts away for a while.

After a couple of hours Draco heard footsteps on the stairs and in a few minutes there was a loud shouting from somewhere downstairs. He laid an open book on the bed and hurried to the sound of arguing voices.

"I must!" Draco heard Severus' angry growl coming from the kitchen. "Do you really think he is as stupid and clueless as you are? That he would really believe me if I say that I don't remember the area?"

Draco came into the room in time to see Potter flopping on a chair with a loud groan and ruffling his messy hair with both of his hands.

"Dark Lord is perfectly aware of the fact that I had an access to this place once. And he is also aware that the place belongs to you now, Bella was ranting about it quite a lot last summer. He is searching for you, Harry, and he expects you to hide in here." Severus was saying and Potter groaned again and laid his hands on the table then laid his head on his hands.

Severus came to him and was rubbing his shoulders gently. "And I have to tell him, you know I do," the man said softly. "I will be bringing Death Eaters into the square in front of the house tonight."

"But it'll still be safe here, right?" Potter's voice sounded tired and was muffled by his hands.

"Yes. No one will be able to see the house and walk into it, of course." Severus put one of his hands on Potter's neck. He was about to say something else, but then he spotted Draco standing in a doorway. He let go of Potter and raised his left eyebrow at Draco in a question.

"What are you talking about here?" Draco asked, trying to hide an image of Severus' pale fingers on Potter's tanned neck in the back of his mind.

Potter lifted his head from the table and just stared at him with these green fucking eyes of his. Severus went to sit at the table across from Potter and didn't answer him too, just glared with annoyance.

"Malfoy," Potter said finally. "How's your arm?"

"Erm... It's okay, I think," Draco mumbled awkwardly.

"This is good."

"Do you need something, Draco?" Severus asked.

"I need you to tell me what's going on."

"Go back to your room."

"What?" Draco almost screeched. "What the hell? I am not bloody five, Severus! Don't you think I must know about Death Eaters walking around the house I'm hiding in?"

"I said go back to your room."

Draco just stood in a complete shock near the kitchen door and was gaping at his Godfather who was visibly annoyed with Draco's presence.

"Do you have some more top-secret news for me?" he heard Potter asking Severus.

"I do not," was the man's sharp answer.

"Then Malfoy could stay," Potter said, amplifying Draco's shock even more.

"He could not," Severus growled gazing at Potter.

"Just take a seat, Malfoy," Potter said tiredly, pulling out a chair next to his.

Draco walked to the table and sat down next to Potter, reasoning that if Potter was an actual owner of this dark creepy house, it'd be rude to reject his invitation.

But clearly Severus didn't think this way and just continued to look at both of them with a dead glare.

Potter had a nerve to smirk at the man and this made Severus absolutely mad. He stormed out of the kitchen and after a few seconds there was a rather loud bang of a furiously slammed door.

And then Draco jumped and nervously drew his wand out from his sleeve at the sound of the hysterical shrieks coming from the hall.

"FILTH! SCUM! STAINS OF DISHONOUR, BY-PRODUCTS OF DIRT AND VILENESS! HOW DARE YOU BEFOUL THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS–"

Potter just stood up with a sigh and walked out of the kitchen, Draco followed him.

It was just a portrait on the wall; a portrait of a tall and dark haired woman who Draco mentally associated with some weird combination of Minerva McGonagall and Bellatrix Lestrange.

"YOU! FILTH! MUDBLOOD'S INBRED! YOU WILL NEVER BE A TRUE MASTER OF THE NOBLE AND MOST ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK!"

The woman started shrieking even more hysterically when she spotted Potter, who walked across the hall and irritably shut down portrait curtains, silencing her.

"Meet your great-aunt, Malfoy," he said turning to Draco with a smirk.

"My what?" Draco blinked.

"It's a portrait of Walburga Black, she was your mother's aunt or something like that," Potter answered him and started walking up the stairs.

Draco stood in a middle of the hall feeling stupid and didn't know what to do. Should he go after Potter or it'd be better just come back to his room? But then he remembered that it was Potter's room in the first place. He decided it would be best just to go to the kitchen, as he heard Potter's quiet "Coming, Malfoy?", and hurried after him.

"How did you of all people manage to end up as a Master of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Potter?" Draco asked following him up the stairs and to the second floor.

"Sirius made me his Heir," Potter said in a strange quiet voice.

"Sirius Black?"

Potter didn't answer and led Draco to the first room to the right. Draco, who thought they were going to the room where he spent the night, almost collapsed into him, but caught himself in time and followed him in.

Draco quickly looked around. It was a dark – despite three large windows – and dusty-smelling drawing room with pretentious ornate old furniture and a tapestry all over one of the walls.

Potter was standing in front of that wall and staring at the tapestry. Draco followed his gaze.

' _Toujours pur_ ', the Black family motto, was written in a golden thread just below the selling at the very top of the tapestry. Draco looked back at Potter who walked to stand by one of the windows.

"He was my Godfather," Potter said and it took Draco a few seconds to understand what he was talking about.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking at the black burnt spot next to the name of Regulus Black. His mother loved Regulus, she had talked about him a lot, and Draco was sure she was still not completely over his mysterious disappearance almost twenty years ago.

"Wasn't your fault," he heard Potter's voice.

"Still..." Draco didn't know what else he could say and he suddenly felt very awkward. He looked at Potter.

"Thanks," Potter looked at him too. "It's your name down there," he said tilting his head in the direction. "Thought you might like to see," and he turned back to look at the window.

It didn't take Draco more than about five seconds to find his mother's name. He crouched down beside the wall and gently trailed his fingers over the golden letters. He paused a little but then he was trailing his father's name too. He stared at these names for a while, hoping both his parents were alright and then looked at his own name.

"You were right," he said quietly.

"Hm?" Potter was still looking at the window.

Draco came to stood next to him. "You were right, I've liked it."

"Good."

"I don't understand you," Draco said watching the side of Potter's face. "You're helping me, hiding me in your home and don't throw me out, you're making your elf cook for me, you're talking to me like you don't hate me, you're showing me something I might like. You even made sandwiches for me last night! It's almost– It's like you care... about– about me..."

"What do you want to hear?" Potter finally said after a couple of minutes of a heavy silence.

"The truth," Draco replied immediately.

Potter turned his head to look at Draco. "Truth is that I actually care, Malfoy. I don't hate you, don't think I really ever have. And it's not my home, it's just the place I owe."

"But–" Draco was trying to make some sense of it.

"I saw you. Through his eyes. I saw what he made you do and I saw how terrified and helpless you were. You had no choice in all this fucking shit so I wanted to give you one. That's why I asked Snape to take you out of there."

"You asked– you– Potter!" Draco understood even less and suddenly started panicking. "I can't get it, Potter!" he shouted at him.

"Calm down, Malfoy," Draco felt his arm was squeezed gently. "I just didn't want you to do all those things as much as you didn't want to do them yourself–"

"It's not always about what you want, Potter!" Draco tried to sound angrily, but his voice was weak. "Why do you even care?"

He thought he might cry right now and right here if Potter would continue to touch him so gently and look at him like this. So he made an attempt to shake Potter's hand off his arm, but Potter held him tighter and brought his other hand on Draco's shoulder.

Draco closed his eyes and suddenly felt himself being moved slightly and then he was leaning on a windowsill. Potter still had his hands on both Draco's shoulders and was soothingly rubbing his thumbs along Draco's collarbones.

Potter was so close, Draco could feel the smell of woods and a rain coming from him, and he was trying very hard not to lose himself in the feelings of this smell and Potter's touch.

"Would you prefer to stay with _him_ instead?" he heard Potter said in a soft voice. "I really don't think so, Malfoy. You're safe here. And you're here because many people want you to be safe and as far away from him as possible. This is a Black Family house, as you already know, so it's not only Fidelius Charms that protects you from him. It's Blood Magic. Your mother helped to find one ancient ritual, and Snape and I did it a few days ago, the night I turned seventeen. Last night I finished it, so this house protects you even more than it protects me. And... if you're worried about your mum–" Draco held a breath, "Don't be, she's not in the country and she's safe too." Draco breathed out with relief and tried to hold back his tears. "Snape doesn't want me to tell you any of this, but I know too well what it's like when you don't have a fucking clue what the hell is going on around you."

"Why?" was all Draco managed to produce in a whispered trembling voice.

"Why do I help? Because I can and because it's the right thing to do. Malfoy, you're not a stranger to me."

Draco opened his eyes and immediately felt some tears running down his cheeks. He looked in beautifully green worried eyes and tried to find his voice again.

"Do you really believe that I deserve it?" he whispered.

"Do you think you don't?"

"I don't know." Draco looked away from Potter's gaze and quickly wiped his face with his sleeve.

Potter took his hands off Draco's shoulders and moved to lean on a windowsill next to Draco. "Everyone deserves a second chance, Malfoy. But don't think about it too much. Nobody asks you to pick the side in this war and nobody makes you fight for one of those sides if you don't want to. Your mother just wanted you safe and so did Snape, and I just wanted to help."

"And what do you want in return?"

"What?"

"What do you want in return for your help, Potter?" Draco repeated himself.

"I don't want anything in return, Malfoy, I wanted to help you, not to make a bargain with you!" Potter said a little angrily.

They were silent for a few minutes. Draco still couldn't understand Potter and his motives and still couldn't believe that it was not his mother's or Severus' but bloody Potter's _(of all people!_ ) idea to take him from the Manor.

Potter almost killed him with some pretty awful dark curse in a Myrtle's bathroom a few months ago; and now he's in his full mode hero, saving Draco from the Dark Lord, preparing him sandwiches, making him fucking compresses on his burning Dark Mark. Maybe it was just a guilt mixed with his stupid savior complex?

"There'll be Death Eaters tonight out there," Potter's voice interrupted Draco's thoughts. "You heard Snape, didn't you? They won't be able to see the house, but be careful anyway."

Draco didn't know what to answer, he swallowed and looked out of the window at the small square across the street.

"I don't have any pyjamas," Draco heard his voice. He didn't have any idea where it came from and why he was telling it to Potter.

But Potter just snorted. "Really, Malfoy? Is it what you're worried about right now?" he said with raised eyebrows.

Draco shrugged.

"Kreacher!" Potter called for his elf, who appeared in front of them already muttering something. "Shut up, Kreacher, I know you hate me, there's no need to tell me this every time you see me. Go and check what Ron and Hermione are doing. They must not see you. If they're not in the tent, bring my backpack. Go now and don't make any noise."

"Are you actually living in the tent with Granger and Weasley?" Draco asked him in amused voice when the elf disappeared with a crack.

"It's actually none of your business, Malfoy."

Draco decided not to ruin an atmosphere, so he fell silent and turned to look at the window again.

The elf reappeared with the loud crack. "Kreacher cannot bring Master's bag, because both of Master's friends are in the tent now. Mud– The girl is reading a book and the Weasley boy is eating sausages lying on the Master's bed."

"Er– okay. Thank you, Kreacher, you may go," Potter said awkwardly while Draco was laughing at the mental image of the Weasel shoving sausages into his mouth while lying on the bed.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on here?" Draco suddenly heard his Godfather's voice. "And why on earth are you still here, Potter?"

Draco looked up and saw Severus standing in a doorway with a very strange expression on his grim face.

"Snape!" Potter greeted him cheerfully. "It's good you're back, I was meaning to ask you something."

Severus didn't reply, just glanced at Draco and went out of the room without a word.

"He's a bit dramatic sometimes, don't you think?" Potter asked looking at Draco with a nice smirk on his lips.

"Sometimes," Draco mumbled, trying not to stare at these lips too much.

"Come on, I think he's in the kitchen," Potter started walking out of the room too and Draco followed him.

He didn't know why, but he told Potter that mother used to tell him scary stories about this house, when he was a child. Maybe it wasn't so dusty and damp when his mother had been visiting this place as a girl, but apparently it was as dark and gloomy as it was these days.

"She was saying something about elves' heads on the staircase, but I'm glad to know it was just her childhood imagination."

"It wasn't, actually," Potter said, chuckling, and opened the door to the kitchen for Draco. "I ordered Kreacher to get rid of them in the beginning of this summer."

Draco laughed a little and turned his head to look at Potter who went into the kitchen after him. Potter was grinning, his eyes bright and even more beautiful than always. The sight made Draco almost choke on his own laugh.

"What is so funny about this situation?" Severus' voice was full of venom.

"Nothing's funny about this situation, Snape," Potter said.

He walked to the table and pulled out one of the chairs, glancing at Draco with raised eyebrows. Draco walked to take a seat, feeling Severus' burning gaze on him. Potter remained standing.

"I think it's better for Kreacher to be here all the time," he said in a serious tone.

"I am excited to hear what thoughts led you to this conclusion," Severus replied dryly.

"I just don't think it'll be safe for me, and for you as well, to come here very often. Because of the Death Eaters, I mean. Do you think they'll be out there twenty four hours a day?"

"I believe it will be like this."

"I have my Invisibility Cloak so I can go unnoticed, but what about you?"

"I am very capable of being unnoticed without any useless cloaks, Potter," Severus sneered at him. "And what does this have to do with your elf being here all the time?"

"It will be easier for Malfoy," Draco looked up at Potter, surprised. "I mean, if he'll need something or if his Mark will be burning and hurting again. So Kreacher will be here to take care of him, and you or I shouldn't be rushing here immediately. And I think I couldn't come very often. And so are you, with Death Eaters around, I mean."

"I'm very flattered by your care, Potter, but your elf isn't a very pleasant company, to be honest," Draco said, but he smiled a little when Potter looked at him, he was touched that Potter really thought about his comfort in this creepy place.

"So you don't think it's a good idea?" Potter asked him furrowing his brows.

"I think it is indeed a good idea," Severus answered before Draco had a chance to open his mouth. "This elf knows too much already, it is not very wise to keep him at Hogwarts where almost everybody might question him."

"I suppose it won't be that bad," Draco said when Potter continued to look at him with question in his eyes.

"Better than being alone here," Potter told him and looked back at Severus. "How's your research?" he asked him.

"Don't you think we should not talk about it when we are not the only people in the room, Potter?"

Potter just shrugged and sighed heavily.

"Nothing new for now," Severus told him in surprisingly soft voice.

Potter sighed again. "I think I should be going, until Ron and Hermione decided I drowned myself in a river or something like that. I was meaning to send a Patronus to them about ten minutes ago."

"I believe you and your friends should stop using Patronuses for communication," Severus said and stood up when Potter started walking to the door. "Yours is too recognizable. And don't send any Patronuses into and out of this house, they can be traced very easily."

Severus glanced at Draco and walked to Potter.

They went out of the kitchen together, with Severus' hand on Potter's shoulder, but not before Draco caught the green gaze and heard a quiet "See you, Malfoy" in Potter's low voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! ❤
> 
> This is the first serious thing I've ever written, and English is not my native language, so I'm sorry for any mistakes!


	2. Chapter two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2019/12/02

** Chapter Two **

Draco's days at Grimmauld Place were boring and even. Almost all he did was eating, sleeping and a lot of reading. Sometimes it was spending time with his Godfather, who told him a little about what was going on outside. For some weird reasons Severus didn't let him into the library, but he gave Draco a few ancient books about wizarding history and family blood magic.

On his twelfth day in the house Draco found an old potion laboratory in the cellar. With some help from Kreacher and even Severus he cleaned it up enough for being able to brew in it. So his days became less boring while he was busy making potions Severus brought him ingredients for.

He was brewing a lot of Pain-Relieving (his Dark Mark was burning sometimes) and Blood-Replenishing (when he thought about Potter in a nice black dress robe covered in blood) potions. He'd brew a Dreamless Sleep potion for himself, but Severus didn't like the idea and refused to bring him moonseeds.

  
He hadn't seen Potter almost in a month. Last time Potter was here, he came with a bright red pyjama t-shirt late in the night when Severus had shown a place to Death Eaters.

Draco scowled at Potter's grin when he handed Draco his red Gryffindor t-shirt and a pair of pale grey pyjama bottoms he brought for him to sleep in.

But later at night when Draco was lying in bed and inhaling Potter's scent from his clothes, he remembered how Potter stood by the window in the drawing room with him watching Death Eaters' appearance in that square, Potter's strong arm around Draco's slightly shaking shoulders; Potter squeezing his hand telling him he was safe here, before he threw his Cloak over himself and left – Draco couldn't care less about a color of the t-shirt he had to slept in. It was Potter's and it helped him to feel safe.

On his fifteenth day here Draco woke up to a little basket of fresh wild blackberries and a piece of parchment on his bedside table.

_"Found a lot of berry bushes not so far from our tent this morning. Remembered how Parkinson once threw a blackberry tart at your face, I was having a lot of fun watching. It's not a tart but I thought you may like to eat it properly for once. Harry."_

_Harry_. This word echoed in Draco's mind almost all day. He annoyed Severus a lot that day, not listening to what he was saying to him half a time.

Kreacher said him that Potter called for an elf early that morning and told him to take a basket and a note to Draco but not waking him up if he'd be still asleep, so Kreacher left it on his nightstand.

So Draco had figured back then that Potter with Granger and Weasley were indeed living in the tent in the woods. And Potter chose that instead of living here, so Draco could keep himself safe in this house. Kreacher told him he brought them some food a few times, but Potter ordered him not to talk with anyone about his whereabouts, so he couldn't tell Draco much.

Two days later there were raspberries.

_"Not sure what you really might like, so try these ones today. Harry. p.s. How's your Mark?"_

Draco wrote an answer and it became a routine from that day. Potter was sending him a basket of berries and a note every morning and Draco replied.

Sometimes it was more than two notes a day, but sometimes it was just berries. It had been blackberries, raspberries, even gooseberries once, but mostly Potter was sending blueberries because Draco once wrote him that he liked them the most.

And Potter was often writing about what he had seen through the Dark Lord's eyes. He wrote that Draco's father was alright and his mother was still safe and not in Britain, that Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and Theodore Nott officially became Death Eaters and that Pansy was questioned about Draco's escape by the Dark Lord himself, but _"don't worry, she was actually really good"_ and _"anyway, she doesn't know anything so she was fine at the end"._

Potter also had sent him some herbs and plants a few times after Draco wrote him that Severus didn't want him to brew a Dreamless Sleep potion because the thing was dangerously addictive.

He woke up one morning from the strange strong smell and saw a ridiculous bouquet on his nightstand near his usual basket of blueberries. There was a note as well.

_"Morning, Malfoy. It took me almost three days, but I've finally managed to find all the ingredients for you to brew a Sleeping drought (I was checking all the plants with one of Hermione's books at least four thousand times, so I really do hope they're correct). It's not so strong like a Dreamless Sleep, I know, but it should be enough for you to sleep well. I told Kreacher to make you a peppermint tea every night before you go to bed, I've read it might help too. Also I was wondering if you would be able to brew an essence of dittany? I mean, for me, for us. Hermione packed only one phial and it's almost done already. It'll be great if you could help, but I'll understand if you don't have a time, it's really okay. Is your Mark alright? Harry."_

Draco smiled to himself imagining Potter wandering through the forest with a large potion book in his hand.

He wasn't sure he could brew an essence of dittany himself, so he decided to ask Severus for it, trying not to think about why Potter needed it so much. And he wrote an answer.

_"Morning, Potter. My Mark hasn't bothered me for a couple of days, thanks. It is rather hard for me to admit it, but all the ingredients you've found are perfectly correct, thank you, Potter. I'll be happy to sleep all night. I am also interested to know if you would be able to send me some more herbs if I'll tell you the name and will describe them to you? Thanks for berries. DM"_

So with Potter's help Draco finally was able to brew more useful potions and droughts.

Severus almost spilled his evening tea all over himself when Draco asked him for dittany that day. He didn't want to tell Severus about Potter, so he had lied that he needed an essence for his experiment with a Wiggenweld potion.

Severus handed him two phials next evening and fortunately didn't ask him any questions, but Draco was sure the man didn't believe him.

~

This morning Draco went downstairs with his usual little basket full of blackberries and blueberries and almost dropped it when he saw a tall dark figure in the hall.

"It is just me, Draco," it said in Severus' tired voice and walked past him to the kitchen.

Draco went after the man and sat on his usual spot at the table, placing the basket in front of himself. A plate with fresh scones and a large cup of peppermint tea appeared next to it next moment.

"This elf is spoiling you almost as bad as your mother," Severus told him standing near the table across from him and eyeing his berries suspiciously.

"Erm– it's not an elf, actually," Draco replied feeling a little awkward. "It's from Potter," he added when Severus raised his eyebrow at him.

"Potter did bring you berries? When?"

"He– He didn't bring– He is sending them with Kreacher every morning."

"Harry Potter is sending you berries with his ghoulish elf every morning... And how long is this going on?"

"About two weeks."

Draco had never seen so much strong emotions on his Godfather's always impassive face. There was mostly shock, but Draco also could see some kind of sadness and even anger in the man's eyes. He didn't understand what was wrong with this situation, but he really did like Potter's attention and he really got used to exchanging notes with him, not that he would ever admit it out loud to anyone, especially not to Severus with his odd reactions on all Potter-related conversations.

He started to regret he had said something at all, but for some odd reasons, when Severus thought berries were Kreacher's thing, Draco immediately wanted him to know that it was actually Potter who was 'spoiling him almost as bad as his mother'.

So Draco cleared his throat awkwardly and asked Kreacher for butter. He could feel the fire of Severus' gaze on him while he was buttering his scone and then putting berries on it.

"It will be the first of September tomorrow," Severus told him after a rather long pause.

"I don't actually live on some desert island, you know. I have a calendar too," Draco answered him dryly.

"Spare me your pointless petulance, Draco. It is not my fault if Potter sent you some sour rotten berry." Severus said in a cold voice and walked out of the kitchen, and Draco heard him walking up the stairs on the third floor and presumably into the library.

After the breakfast Draco spent some time in his lab, checking on a draught of Peace that he started brewing yesterday morning when Potter sent him a bunch of hellebores.

Then he went back to his room and was reading a book about Ancient Runes and their role in some blood rituals, when Severus appeared in the doorway a few hours later.

"I will not be able to come here very often with the beginning of the school year," he told Draco. "I finally convinced Dark Lord to make me a new Headmaster of Hogwarts," Severus sat in the big armchair near Draco's bed. "But he is sending Carrows at Hogwarts too."

"Carrows, both of them? Why?"

"Both of them. They will be teaching, if you would permit me to use such a term while talking about Amycus and Alecto Carrow of all people." Severus was silent for a couple of minutes, and Draco was unsuccessfully trying to picture Carrows as professors. "They do not like me much, so I suppose there will be a lot of spying and trying to figure out whose pawn I really am, the Dark Lord's or Albus Dumbledore's."

"And who's you really are?" Draco couldn't stop himself from asking.

Severus looked straight at Draco's face and was searching his eyes intently for a long moment. Draco didn't know what exactly he wanted to find there, but it seemed like finally he found something.

"Do you think it is time for you to know the answer for this question?" Severus asked in a very serious tone.

"I do," Draco replied immediately and held his breath, feeling suddenly scared and nervous.

"I did join Death Eaters willingly, Draco. I was young and apparently not as smart as I liked to think, but I did share the Dark Lord's ideas back then and I was proud to be around those people, I was proud to become one of those people... I believe you know that there is not a person who didn't do a mistake in their life. And I am not saying this was my only mistake, but it was– it is the worst one."

Severus felt silent and Draco couldn't and didn't want to find some courage to ask him to continue.

"And this mistake is not becoming a Death Eater as you might have thought," Severus added in a sad quiet voice, staring at the floor unblinkingly.

"What is it then?" Draco half whispered.

"I suppose I could tell you someday, but not now," the man told him after a rather long pause. "Due to that mistake and its consequences the only chance I had left was to go to Albus Dumbledore and ask, or more accurately beg, for his help. But instead I managed to make myself his servant for the rest of my life; I did make an Unbreakable Vow with him and became his secret spy in the ranks of Death Eaters. And maybe I never was the Dark Lord's pawn, but I used to be Dumbledore's for almost half of my life."

There was another minute of silence and Draco thought that he got more questions than answers out of Severus' story. But he didn't dare to ask anything.

"And you should know, I am not now," Severus said rather loudly and with a slight irritation, "I am not his pawn anymore, I refuse to follow his orders concerning certain points and I cannot play with people's lives the way he used to." He took a deep breath. "And as much as I want the fall of the Dark Lord, right now my main priority is to keep Potter alive."

"Potter? Harry Potter?" Draco asked stupidly.

"Do you happen to know any other Potters around?" Severus looked at him with one raised eyebrow.

Draco didn't answer, just stared at the bookshelf on the opposite wall replaying Severus' last words in his mind.

"You are saying it like the end of the Dark Lord cannot happen while Potter is alive," he said eventually.

"You are right in much more ways than you can imagine yourself, Draco," Severus' voice was low and so full of emotions, it made Draco shiver. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about this, it was too terrifying.

Severus stayed with him almost all afternoon. He told Draco what would be going on at Hogwarts in the upcoming school year, and this news made Draco feel grateful to both Potter and Severus again for taking him out of it.

Then his Godfather promised Draco to visit him at least once a month and was gone.

~

Draco was alone in the house most of the time that last month he lived here but that was different. He knew Severus would be in a library all afternoon and would stay for dinner almost each day.

After eight days without someone to talk to, except for Kreacher and Potter's notes, Draco began to feel he's about to lose his mind. He became very aware of Death Eaters' presence in the square in front of the house, so he became afraid to look out of the windows. He jumped on every single sound and always leaved the doors open, so he could hear everything.

He was having nightmares again. His Sleeping drought was over a few days ago and he didn't have ingredients for the new brewing. The peppermint tea gave him a little comfort, but Potter's Gryffindor t-shirt didn't smell like Potter anymore and he couldn't made himself relax enough to fall asleep without potion and Potter's scent surrounding him.

This morning when Draco woke up, after finally falling asleep around dawn, he didn't find his usual basket of berries on his nightstand, but there was a note.

_"Morning, Malfoy! Sleep well? How's the Mark? I'm sorry but there are no berries for you today. Hermione thinks we need to change our location more often, so we moved. I thought I would have a chance to sneak out early, but she woke us up at 5 a.m. and got us busy with packing and erasing traces of our camp. So we're at the new place now and there's no interesting thing for you, sorry. Tell me about your day. Did Snape come? Do you know any news? I'm going to explore the nearest area now, so don't be afraid to send Kreacher, I'll be alone. And tell if you need something. Harry."_

Draco rather liked that Potter's notes became more and more like letters. Potter trusted him enough to tell they were changing their location, he cared enough to ask Draco if he needed something and he wanted to know about Draco's day.

Draco read the note again and smiled to himself on the thought or Potter trying to sneaked out under Granger's nose to bring Draco berries one last time.

Potter wrote him he was alone 'exploring the nearest area' somewhere in the woods or wherever they decided to camp this time. Draco thought it wasn't very smart of his friends to let him wandering on his own. He felt something unpleasant curling in his stomach when he remembered about Snatchers, Severus told him about.

So he wrote Potter back, answering his questions and telling him to be careful. He wrote him about an ancient potions book in Latin he started to read (or trying to read) last evening. He also wrote how he couldn't stop coughing from dust for twenty minutes straight yesterday, when he decided to spend some time in the drawing room and sat in one of the old armchairs. He wrote that all he actually needed was a fresh air, but he was too afraid to open windows.

He gave the letter to Kreacher and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and comb his hair. When he was almost done, the loud crack of elf's appearance made him jump and drop his hairbrush on the floor.

"Kreacher is sorry if he scared young Master Black, but Kreacher has a message for young Master Black from Kreacher's Half-blood Master," elf handed him a parchment and stared at him.

"You can go, I think," Draco told him and crouched down to take his brush from the floor.

"Kreacher was told to wait for young Master Black's decision," elf said lifting his chin a little.

Draco looked down on a parchment in his hand. It was a letter he wrote to Potter about fifteen minutes ago, except for the one line in a familiar messy handwriting at the end of the page.

_"Ready for a walk in the woods, Malfoy? H."_

"What does it mean?" Draco asked a little nervously after a minute of staring at the Potter's question.

"Kreacher's Master was saying that if young Master Black will agree, Kreacher must be bringing him to Kreacher's Master for a little walk. And if young Master Black hasn't had his breakfast yet, Kreacher should pack some toasts while young Master Black will be getting ready."

Potter wanted him to come to the forest? For a walk with him? Draco didn't understand what was going on, and it made him a little uncomfortable that Kreacher was still staring at him strangely.

"What?" he snapped at the elf.

"Young Master Black doesn't want to go?" Kreacher asked him, then started muttering: "Kreacher's Half-blood Master will be sad to know, Master isn't so bad, he cares about young Master Black so good, he wanted–"

"Stop your idiotic mumbling! Why will your Master be sad? And why does he want me to go in the first place?"

"Didn't young Master Black tell Kreacher's Master that he is needing fresh air?"

Yes, he did tell this. He wrote this. Potter wanted his elf to bring Draco to the woods for a walk with Potter, so Draco could have a little fresh air.

Draco felt himself grinning like a loon, but he didn't actually care and almost ran out of the bathroom to change his clothes, shouting to Kreacher to pack the fucking toasts.

Draco had never got ready so fast in his life before and only five minutes later he was already standing among tall great oaks holding Kreacher's hand. He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly and deeply.

"Malfoy!" he heard Potter's voice and couldn't stop the smile appearing on his face.

He opened his eyes in time to see grinning Potter walking towards them and taking a knotted cloth sack with Draco's breakfast from his elf.

"Thanks a lot, Kreacher," he said shoving a sack in his muggle backpack. "I'll call you when we're done."

Kreacher disappeared and Potter looked at Draco with these bright beautiful green eyes and for a moment Draco forgot how to breathe.

To be honest, Draco had expected Potter to look like some kind of vagrant, but his clothes and hair were surprisingly fresh and clean, his trainers were worn more than a little, but generally he looked like himself except for a not so light stubble on his face.

Draco realized he was staring and look away quickly, clearing his throat.

"So, I see you liked my idea?" Potter grinned.

"Don't flatter yourself too much, Potter," Draco said, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling again.

Potter just laughed and said he found some nice place where Draco could have his 'fancy breakfast'. And they started to walk through the forest in comfortable silence.

Potter led him to a small river and offered him a hand to help him climb the steep bank. Draco took his warm and big hand blushing and cursing himself for that silly reaction.

Once they were up, Potter started making a fuss of spreading a blanket under the shadow of the big tree while Draco stood near the edge of a bank and watched the forest and hills in front of him. He had never thought he could appreciate the beauty of wild nature, but after a month and a week in a dark and dusty creepy house, he really found the view appealing enough.

"Yeah, the sight is rather fascinating, isn't it?" he didn't hear Potter come close to him, so he jumped a little at the sound of his voice. Potter steadied him with his hand on Draco's arm. "Breakfast?" he asked smiling and gestured to the blanket.

Potter said he had had breakfast already with Granger and Weasley, so Draco ate his buttered toasts and sausages and drunk pumpkin juice, while Potter was laying on the blanket next to him and telling him how he fell in this river and scared a family of wild ducks when he was here early this morning.

Draco watched him with a smile he wasn't aware of until he started to feel a light ache in his cheeks.

Potter's face was handsome as always and so open, the stubble really suited him well, his eyes were so extraordinary green, and his lips were so... Draco looked away quickly but he felt himself blushing already.

Potter didn't notice and continued telling something about Weasley and mushrooms, but Draco couldn't bring himself to pay enough attention to the story while he had an opportunity to watch Potter's broad shoulders, the line of his strong neck, his hands... He was wearing some ridiculous orange t-shirt, so Draco could see his bare tanned arms, the muscles in his forearms flexing when he was waving his hands. Draco lingered his gaze on these big gentle hands, imagining what it'd be like to be held in them.

He tried to control his breathing and looked at his own hands instead.

"My Mark!" he cried in panic.

"Your– Fuck!" Potter cut himself off in the middle of a sentence about Weasley's adventures and sat up sharply and grasped Draco's left forearm. "Is it burning? Oh, Merlin's fucking balls, Kre–"

"No, no, it's not burning, Potter," Draco interrupted him. "I've just realized that I'm not under protection of your house here, and if– and he can find me here... I– I think I just got scared."

"Malfoy, do you really think I would put you in such kind of danger?" Potter's face was so close to his and he was still holding his hand, so it was hard for Draco to think at all.

"What do you mean?" he half whispered.

"There are some protective charms around us," Potter said softly. "It's not enough to stop him of course, but we would have some time. And I can feel some of his thoughts and emotions if I'm concentrated on him, so I'm sure I would know if he'll suddenly decide to look for you again."

"Why it is you and not me who thinks about my Mark and my protection?" Draco mused out loud staring at Potter in disbelief. "So you're saying you are concentrated on the Dark Lord's thoughts right now?"

"Yeah, I am, of course I am. I didn't want him to find us and screw up your posh breakfast in not so posh woods in the middle of nowhere. Did you?"

"No, I didn't want it too," Draco said and suddenly started to laugh.

He stopped when he felt Potter's thumb stroking the skin on his left forearm which was still in Potter's hand. Potter was smiling at him such a warm and gentle smile, Draco found it was rather hard to breathe and he was sure he was blushing like some first-year Hufflepuff again.

"As much as I would love to spend some more time with you, I think I should go back before Ron and Hermione start worrying," Potter said in a soft voice. "And you will be safer in Grimmauld Place." He started slowly tracing the lines of Draco's Dark Mark with his fingertips while he was talking.

"Yeah," was all Draco was able to produce.

Potter slide his fingers down Draco's forearm and laced them with Draco's squeezing slightly. Draco's breath hitched and he closed his eyes, but next moment he felt something tugging his arm and he opened his eyes to see Potter standing on his feet already and smiling at him. Draco smiled back and allowed Potter to pull him up as well.

They were standing so close, Draco could feel Potter's fresh scent of forest and rain.

He became very aware of their height difference in this position, Draco's eyes were right at the level of a little hollow between Potter's collarbones, and it took almost all of his self-control to look away.

Potter let go of his hand and waved his wand to clean and shrink the blanket.

"Do you want to do this sometimes?" he asked packing a shrinking blanket back in his backpack.

"Do what?" Draco blinked feeling stupid and trying not to think about things he shouldn't.

"To have a breakfast with me sometimes, I mean," Potter suddenly looked shy. "I mean somewhere in the forest or where we will be camping in the future. You were right, you really need fresh air, you look paler than usual. And– and I really like to spend time with you... And I promise to cast all the charms for you to–"

"Stop babbling, Potter. I wouldn't mind."

"Really?" Potter grinned at him managing to look stupid and adorable at the same time.

"Really," Draco smirked back.

~

Draco's nightmares weren't completely gone, but he started to sleep much better. And Potter's ridiculous sweater with a hood and a strange big pocket on the front had a lot to do with it. It was big, warm, very comfortable and smelled like Potter.

Potter gave it to him when they were meeting the third time for Draco's breakfast in the woods. That day was a little cold and rainy, so Potter being Potter pulled his ridiculous sweater off the moment he saw Draco shivered at the wind. He didn't ask to give it back and Draco was more than happy about it.

Draco also started trying to wake up earlier than usual, so he could spend more time with Potter.

They were walking a lot, Potter called it 'hiking' or something like that and laughed every time Draco was complaining he had never walked so much in his life.

But actually Draco liked their strolls a lot for many different reasons. The real beauty of the nature was one of them.

It was almost a month since they'd met in the forest for the first time, and Potter with his friends had changed their locations nine or ten times already. So Draco saw dense woods, broad meadows and valleys, rivers and lakes, and snowy mountain tops. Once Potter even showed him the real muggle farm, not that Draco was very impressed with it, but his hand was in Potter's almost all the time, so he didn't really mind.

And this was another reason – Potter was always trying to touch him. He always held out his hand to Draco when they were climbing a hill or stepping over lying tree trunk or crossing some tiny river, and he didn't let go right away. When Draco had stumbled sometimes, Potter always steadied him with his big hand on Draco's arm or around Draco's shoulders.

Once Draco slipped on a grass that was wet with dew, and Potter stopped him from disgraceful fall by gasping him by the waist and holding him close to himself. Draco gripped his fingers in Potter’s biceps and bumped his nose into Potter's shoulder. That moment was indeed very awkward, but it became Draco's favorite fantasy about Potter and his strong hands.

They not always were 'hiking' by the way, sometimes they were just lying on the blanket under some tree or by the river or in the tall grass, shoulders and arms brushing, and talked.

Draco made Potter tell him everything about his adventures at Hogwarts, especially about Chamber of Secrets in their second year.

Shockingly, rumors were almost true, Potter indeed did kill a giant basilisk with the Gryffindor's sword at the age of twelve. Then he destroyed a memory of the young Dark Lord who was trying to possess She-Weasel's life. And now Draco knew the reason why she started hero-worshiping Potter even more next year.

Potter also told him about their third year and how he learned about Black being his parents' traitor and his Godfather and how he then learned the truth and was hoping to become a real proper family with him.

Potter talked about Sirius Black a lot actually. Draco thought he had never talked about him with anyone since the man's death and he hoped Potter felt better now, finally allowing himself to let go a little.

It was hard to convince Potter that Black's death wasn't his fault and Draco wasn't sure he really succeeded in this.

It also helped Draco to realize with how much guilt Potter actually saddled himself. He blamed himself for his parents', Diggory's, Black's and even Dumbledore's deaths. He blamed himself for all the deaths of Death Eaters' victims – wizards and muggles – because he knew he might end it but didn't know how exactly, because Dumbledore didn't leave him a lot of help.

Draco was always afraid every time Potter talked about their former Headmaster, but Potter had never said anything about Draco's role in his death and Draco was grateful for it, he wasn't sure he could talk about it anytime soon.

  
To his own surprise Draco had told Potter a lot about himself, about his childhood and even his parents.

He was telling him about their family holidays they were spending in France in the old Malfoy's Manor or in Spain in the sea-house his mother inherit from one of her Black great-aunts.

Potter didn't know Black family had some distant relatives in Spain so Draco told him a little about Black's family history and it surprised Draco a lot that Potter didn't even know about his own connection to Blacks through his grand-grand-grandmother, Dorea Potter (neé Black). So Draco told him all he knew about Potter's family history too. Not that he knew a lot about that particular family, but Potter was over-impressed even with his little knowledge.

Draco talked a lot about Pansy and how much friendship with her helped him through the years. Pansy had a real talent to calm him down and to help him to sort out his thoughts. He told Potter how much her simple chattering and staying out of his business helped him to go through last year without losing his mind. He also told Potter a little how they were growing up together and that Pansy was like a sister he always wanted but never had.

Sometimes they talked about Hogwarts too, about their professors and lessons, and about Quidditch and their favorite teams and players. Potter couldn't believe him that Arithmancy was really his favorite subject and Draco had difficult time believing someone really might voluntarily support Chudley Cannons.

Potter also told Draco about his own childhood and life with his muggle relatives. Draco was shocked to learn that Potter didn't know anything about magic and didn't realize he was a wizard until he was eleven.

Potter said his family didn't like him much and didn't like magic, but Draco was sure there was so much more than that.

Potter said he used to fight with his cousin a lot when they were kids and earlier he was describing him like an 'overgrown fat hog'. Draco remembered skinny little Potter from first and second years very well to imagine what kind of fights it actually was.

He said he can cook and he hated it as a child. But Weasley couldn't cook and Granger's cooking abilities were far from acceptable, so he started to cook for them on a little stove they had in their tent and realized he really liked it 'when nobody is forcing him to do so'.

Draco asked him back then why in the name of Merlin he had to cook when he was a child, but Potter didn't answer and fell silent for a long few minutes and when he started to speak it was to ask Draco to tell him about the book he was reading. All Draco wanted to do that moment was to _Crucio_ those fucking muggles to death, but he forced himself to calm down and started talking about Ancient Greek wizarding history.

Potter wasn't telling him much about why he was hiding, but he said that Dumbledore left him some very important task, and Granger and Weasley knew about it and they didn't let him to face it alone.

Potter said that Severus was helping him with some unexpected parts of this task.

"How did that even happen that you started to cooperate with him of all people?" Draco asked him then.

"Dumbledore left him some task too," Potter said in a strange quiet voice. "It's about me, this task I mean. It's really complicated, Malfoy... But– I am really grateful for what he's doing for me. I mean, I've never could imagine he would. Dumbledore didn't even think about it, and here I am, believing he did care for me, believing he lo– but he just..." Potter laughed sadly. "Snape knows something about me even Ron and Hermione don't know, and I think I'd like to tell them, I think I'd like to tell you, really, but– It's not so simple to say. And it was hard enough for me to accept that information, but... I really don't know what to say, Malfoy. I wish I wouldn't know this till the end, really. But I actually believe in Snape," he snorted. "I'm sorry for telling you all this nonsensical shit, I just can't stop babbling sometimes."

"No, it's okay," Draco said to him, but Potter closed his eyes and turned away.

In the whole his live Draco had never wanted something more than to reach out for Potter that moment, hold his hand or hug him as tight as he could and tell him that everything will be alright.

"You can tell me everything, you know," he said instead.

Memories of a smile Potter gave him back then after these words were helping Draco to sleep almost without nightmares for full six nights.

~

Draco jumped on his bed with one hand under the pillow searching for his wand, but all he saw was a slightly scared Kreacher who jumped back as well.

"Kreacher is so sorry, young Master Black, but Kreacher was told to wake young Master Black up right now and give him this," elf handed him a little piece of parchment. "Young Master Black should call for Kreacher, when he will be ready," and with that elf disappeared leaving Draco in a dark room.

"Ready for what?" Draco muttered to himself and light his wand with a whispered _Lumos_.

One glance at the note in his hand was enough to know who it was from and Draco started to read.

_"Early morning, Malfoy. Sorry for waking you up before dawn, but don't be mad at Kreacher, it's my only fault you are in a bad mood now. I hope I will make it up for you actually. I want to show you something while we're still here. Please, come. Harry."_

Draco was wondering what Potter wanted him to show so badly that he made Draco got off the bad at fucking 6 in the morning. Maybe it was some rare plant? Then it might be really interesting.

Kreacher didn't pack any breakfast that made Draco even more suspicious.

Potter greeted him with a very mischievous grin and with a green knitted sweater in his hand.

"Thought you might like some warm clothes in this chilly early morning," he said handing this sweater to Draco, who pulled it on with a quiet "thanks", quickly inhaling Potter's scent from the soft material.

"A dragon, Potter, really?" Draco asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow when he looked down at himself.

"Er– yeah, it supposed to be a Hungarian Horntail in fact," Potter said smiling sheepishly. "Mrs. Weasley made it for me on Christmas in our fourth year, after–"

"After your outstanding performance in the first task during the Triwizard Tournament," Draco finished for him, rolling his eyes.

"Outstanding performance, huh?" Potter grinned smugly, taking Draco by the hand and starting to lead him to the nearest hill.

Draco was sure he blushed like some stupid Hufflepuff girl (again) but he managed to scowl at Potter, though the stupid git just laughed at him.

"So, are you going to tell me, Potter, what in the Merlin's name does make you think I will enjoy climbing some idiotic hill at six in the morning?" Draco wanted to sound annoyed, but this came out more like a whine.

"Be patient a little, Malfoy," Potter said squeezing Draco's hand and turning to look at him, smiling. "And why is this hill idiotic? I think it's rather nice, actually."

"Maybe it'd be nice if there weren’t such a lot of stupid pebbles under my feet and if it wasn't bloody six in the morning."

"Has someone ever told you, that you're cute when you're pouting?" Potter looked at him still smiling.

Draco felt himself flushing bright red. "Shut up, Potter," he muttered trying to look offended.

They had reached almost the top of the hill when Potter decided it was time to stop. He spread their usual blanket on the grass near a big stone and cast a few charms around the place, while Draco was watching the great river valley stretching beneath them. There were a forest and a range of mountains in the distance, and sky was beginning to brighten already but Draco could still see some stars.

He heard Potter walked to stand next to him. 

"I love stars," Draco said to him quietly. "Mother used to tell me a lot about them when I was little."

Potter just hummed and put his hand around Draco's waist. Draco turned his head a little to look up at him, but Potter was busy watching the stars, though Draco was sure he didn't have any slightest idea about their names or constellations they made.

But then Potter looked at him too and Draco tried hard not to lose himself in these piercing green eyes. Potter's hand moved to rest firmly on the small of Draco's back, and it all suddenly became too much. Draco swallowed hard and looked away, feeling overwhelmingly nervous.

"What is it?" he asked when his gaze fell on the blanket and he saw a plate and some strange silver cylinder on it.

"It's, er, your breakfast," Potter said and stepped away from Draco a little awkwardly. "If you want," he added.

Draco wanted and they sat comfortably on the blanket, Potter conjured a big cushion so Draco could lean with his back on a big stone behind him.

"It's a chocolate pudding, isn't it?" Draco asked excitedly when Potter sat cross-legged across from him and handed him a little bowl.

"Yeah," Potter smiled shyly. "I've remembered you used to like it back at Hogwarts."

"You remember that perfectly clear, Potter," Draco grinned taking a spoon from still adorably smiling Potter, who then conjured two big cups and was filling them with hot steaming tea from that strange cylinder.

"Oh Merlin's beard, it's really good!" Draco cried out dramatically when he ate the first spoonful of this delicious chocolate thing. "Remind me to thank your elf, Potter. He's ugly, grumpy and annoying creature, but I can forgive him all of this if he'll promise me to cook like that more often." Draco grinned at Potter who was watching him strangely with a small beautiful smile on his face.

Draco paused in his eating because it was hard to look at Potter when he was like this, so open and so handsome, smiling at Draco so... fondly.

"What?" Draco managed to whisper when Potter continued just staring at him.

"Er, it's just– I actually cooked it by myself, the pudding I mean," Potter said awkwardly and looked away.

"What?" Draco repeated himself. "You– you cooked it? But– How?"

"Er, what do you mean how? I told you I can cook. And we have a stove in the tent, and I, er– I might have bought all the necessary products while we were in the muggle supermarket yesterday with Hermione." Potter's cheeks blushed lightly and Draco couldn't look away from this sight for all the gold in the whole fucking world. "Do you really like it?" Potter asked nervously still not looking at Draco.

"Of course, I do! It's delicious, Harry," Draco said smiling.

It took him a whole minute and an absolutely astonished expression on Potter's face to realize what he had just said. He called him Harry.

 _Harry_.

Draco was trying very hard to not allow himself thinking about him like that very often, but couldn't help but whispering this name when he was touching himself late at night or in the morning shower, or when he was comforting himself after his nightmares while burying his nose in that ridiculous sweater with a hood he slept in. Thinking about him like _Harry_ was very personal, intimate even. And he liked it how it was.

But a look of joy and wonder on Potter's face and the way he was staring at Draco, or rather at Draco's lips, was definitely worth it.

"So, what was that muggle super-thing you and Granger were in yesterday?" Draco asked a few moments later after clearing his throat.

Potter laughed loudly, snapping out from his strange daze, and laid down on the blanket, starting to tell Draco about some huge shops where muggles could buy food and other muggle staff for themselves.

When Draco finished his chocolate pudding, Potter gave him one of conjured cups and they sat close to each other in a comfortable silence sipping their tea.

"I thought you wanted to show me something, not to feed me," Draco said in a few minutes.

"I thought you liked it," Potter replied frowning at his cup in his hands.

"I did."

Potter looked at him and gave him one of those breathtaking small smiles of his that made Draco forget about everything for a moment.

"I like it that you liked it," he said smiling. "I wanted to make something for you for a while. I mean, I baked a little cake for Hermione's birthday a couple of weeks ago, and I thought I could bake something for you too. And when I found this place yesterday morning, I immediately wanted to show you. But then I thought– this might be more– Er, you know, with a pudding– I mean, it might be more than fine, you know."

"I'm not sure what you're trying to say, Potter, but pudding was indeed more than fine," Draco smiled to him too and looked away quickly before he blushed or said something stupid. "But what's with this place? It's a nice view, but not that special in my opinion."

"We should wait a little longer." Potter shifted on the blanket and leaned back on Draco's cushion so their thighs and arms were pressed together.

"And what are we waiting for? I hope it's not Granger and Weasley hiding behind those bushes," Draco said quietly while wondering would it be too obvious if he would press himself into Potter’s side a little more.

"Of course not, Malfoy. I hate lying to them, but I care about you a lot, we've talked about this."

"And what are they thinking about you making a chocolate pudding and disappearing with it into the woods before dawn?" Draco had never asked Potter what explanations he gave to his friends, but it didn't mean he wasn't interested to know this.

"I made enough for them too," Potter answered. "And I took only one plate with me, so they think I'm having breakfast alone somewhere in the woods. Actually they don't ask a lot of questions, I suppose they think I need time and space for myself."

"Are you saying you didn't have breakfast because of me?" Draco felt bad for not noticing that Potter didn't eat with him.

"Not everything is about you, Malfoy," Potter smirked and nudged him a little with his shoulder. "I'm okay, it is not a big deal."

Draco didn't know what to say and they fell silent watching the river valley in front of them. It was awfully nice and comfortable to sit here with Potter on some hill in the middle of nowhere, inhaling fresh air and Potter's scent, feeling warm and safe from his touch.

Potter shifted a little again and Draco tried not to feel such a strong disappointment thinking that Potter was going to sit away from him. But he was still here, his scent and warmth of his body still surrounding Draco.

And after a moment Draco became aware of Potter's fingers sliding slowly around his wrist, gently tracing blue veins on the pale skin here. He looked down in time to see Potter's fingers intertwining themselves with Draco's. Then Potter squeezed his hand slightly and Draco smiled. He looked up at Potter but he was keeping his eyes on the valley, and Draco turned to look at it too.

They were sitting like this for what felt like a couple of hours but it couldn't be much longer than ten or fifteen minutes. Draco felt a little overwhelmed but it was in such a pleasant way – the feeling of Potter's hand holding his, Potter's thumb stroking slowly over Draco's knuckles, the heat of Potter's body so close to his own – Draco wanted it to never end.

And when the sun began to appear from behind the chain of mountains, Draco immediately knew what Potter had wanted to show him. It was sunrise. And it was beautiful. Draco held his breath watching the way sun's rays were reflecting from the water in rivers making it sparkle and burn with bright red, orange and yellow colors.

Potter placed Draco's hand in the palm of his other hand, and the hand which was earlier holding Draco's found its way around Draco's shoulders, drawing Draco even closer to Potter's body.

Draco found himself leaning into him; he laid his head on Potter's shoulder and closed his eyes for a few seconds trying to steady his breathing. He felt Potter's stubbled cheek brushed the top of his head and the feeling of Potter's breath in his hair made Draco shivered slightly. He tried not to melt into him and not to smile like a complete idiot.

They watched the sunrise in a cozy warm silence, one of Potter's hands holding Draco's gently, the other traveling on Draco's arm slowly from his shoulder to elbow and the way up.

"I don't think I've ever actually seen a sunrise before," Draco said eventually. "Thank you, it's really beautiful," he smiled and looked up.

Potter was looking at him too and Draco forgot how to breathe not for the first time this morning. With his perfectly messy black hair, his shining emerald eyes, his adorable smile and all this sunlight around him, Harry was absolutely gorgeous. He slowly lifted his hand to Draco's face and carefully cupped Draco's cheek in his big warm palm.

Potter opened his mouth and was going to say something, but suddenly there was a loud sound of apparition somewhere near them and Potter was immediately on his feet in front of Draco, his wand in his hand, shouting " _Protego Maxima!_ " rather loudly.

Though it was really hard, Draco was finally able to collect himself too and quickly stood up next to Potter, drawing his own wand from his sleeve and looking around nervously.

Draco jumped on the sound of the voice behind them and Potter turned around sharply aiming his wand and ready to shout the next spell, but then they both froze in shock.

"Kreacher can feel his Master is near, but Kreacher can't see or hear him and young Master Black, because Master's magic is very strong and protects young Master Black very well..."

Draco started laughing a little hysterically while Kreacher continued his mumbling and Potter muttered counter-spells for his own protective charms he had placed around them.

"Kreacher, for fuck's sake!" he heard Potter's shouting. "Do you realize how much you fucking scared me? I thought– Oh God, I thought–"

"Kreacher is very sorry–"

"Oh, of course you're bloody sorry, fucking hell!" Draco laid his hand on Potter's arm and he abruptly stopped his shouting, looking back at Draco.

"Calm down," Draco said to him quietly. "Kreacher, did something happen?" he asked the elf who looked unusually anxious.

"Yes, young Master Black, Mister Snape is in the house at this moment. Kreacher did not know if it was appropriate to say Mister Snape about the breakfast his Half-blood Master made for young Master Black, so Kreacher said that young Master Black is sleeping in his bedroom now."

"Thank you Kreacher, you did well," Draco smiled at him then turned to unexpectedly quiet Potter, removing his hand from Potter's arm. "I'm not sure how Severus might react, so I better won't tell him about any of this."

"I bloody know how he might react," Potter said snorting and rolling his eyes. "He's going to hiss at me angrily about my carelessness and my Gryffindor stupidity."

"Maybe you're right," Draco laughed a little then stopped when Potter took his hand again.

"You need to go," Potter said softly. He looked at Draco with one of these breathtaking expressions on his face again. He stepped closer and laid his free hand on Draco's waist a little hesitantly and looked into his eyes.

Draco happily lost himself in the deep green, but Kreacher decided to ruin the moment with loud coughing.

"Master must take his hands off young Master Black for now, young Master Black needs to go. Master might try to kiss young Master Black some other time."

Damned fucking elf. Draco closed his eyes, he was sure his face was redder than Potter's Gryffindor t-shirt that Draco used to sleep in. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes and carefully looked at Potter, who by the way still didn't 'take his hands off' him.

Potter's cheeks were bright red too and he was staring at his elf with slightly wide eyes looking absolutely gobsmacked. It made Draco felt a little more confident and he cleared his throat and squeezed Potter's hand.

"I really need to go now," he said when Potter looked at him. "Thank you for breakfast, Potter, and– thank you," Draco smiled at him feeling nervous and awkward again.

"You're welcome, Malfoy," Potter grinned at him squeezing his hand in return and then let go off him. "See you," he said when Draco stepped to Kreacher and held his hand for the elf.

"What an interesting turn of events."

Draco was still in his thoughts with Potter and his big hand on Draco's waist when he and Kreacher landed in his bedroom in Grimmauld Place, so he didn't notice his Godfather sitting in the armchair by the window until he started speaking.

Draco jumped and stared at him felling caught in the act and a little scared. "Um, hullo Severus," Draco said eventually.

"Care to explain where in the Merlin's name have you been, Draco," Severus asked him angrily.

"I was safe," Draco said still standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"It is not what I as–" Severus stopped talking and stared at him with comically wide eyes. Draco might laugh if he wasn't already so nervous. "What are you wearing?" Severus asked him out of nowhere.

"Erm, clothes, what do you mean?" Draco looked down at himself absolutely confused. _Shit_.

"It is Potter's sweater, isn't it?" Severus said in amused voice still staring at Draco strangely. "Where have you been, Draco? Answer me!" the man half whispered dangerously, glaring at him when Draco didn't answer.

This time Draco actually laughed despite being very nervous and uncomfortable. He ignored Severus' burning glare and walked to sit on his bed still laughing.

"I'm sorry Severus, but you've just reacted exactly how he said you would. Sorry," Draco said trying to calm down.

"And what exactly did he say?"

"He said you will be hissing angrily about him being careless and Gryffindor," Draco chuckled a little but then sobered. "But you know, Severus, he is absolutely not like that, he is always placing plenty of really strong protection charms around us, and he said he is always concentrated on Dark Lord's thoughts so he'd know if he suddenly decided to find me or something like that." Now Severus was frowning at him with unreadable expression on his face. "Can you imagine what it is like being locked up at the house like that with no one to talk to except of slightly insane old house elf?" Draco cried out. "And do you realize how bloody dusty is everything in here? And I can't even open a fucking window because these fucking Death Eaters around there are creeping me out, bloody hell!"

"Language, Draco," Severus glared at him. "How long has this been going on?"

"We're meeting almost every morning a little more than a month. We've been exchanging notes with Kreacher's help and I once wrote him how hard I was coughing from dust the other day and he just ordered Kreacher to bring me to him if I'm okay with it, so... Granger and Weasley don't know by the way. He's not sure they'd react well, I think. And he is walking rather far from their camp to meet with me."

"I am still not sure what to say about it, Draco. But I am absolutely not happy about this situation and I am perfectly aware you wouldn't listen to me if I say you to stop it," he sighed heavily. "I haven't had breakfast yet and I have some news," with that he stood up and walked out of the room, Draco followed him downstairs.

When they came to the kitchen Draco suggested calling for Potter while he was still not with his friends so Severus could tell him all the news too. The man just glared at him and didn't answer, but yet, when Severus started to prepare coffee for himself, he called Kreacher and ordered him to go and get his 'stupid Master'.

"Snape! Good to see you," Potter greeted Draco's Godfather cheerfully when he appeared in the middle of the kitchen grinning sheepishly at them. "Malfoy," he nodded to Draco. "So how you guys have been doing?"

"Drop the act, Potter," Severus sneered at him walking to a table with a plate of toasts and a cup of black coffee floating in front of him.

"Er– So you aren't mad?"

"Relax, Potter, it's okay," Draco said before Severus had a chance to say something that could cause Potter to stop taking him from this house's protection. "But you shouldn't be giving me your sweater if you wanted it to be a secret," Draco smirked at him.

"You look good in green," Potter said then turned sharply and walk to the kitchen counter. Draco blushed and swallowed trying not to look at Severus who watched him with a raised eyebrow. "Do you want some tea, Malfoy?" Potter asked him from where he was busy with a kettle.

"Um, yes please," Draco was sure he was blushing even more now because he remembered the last time Potter was making him tea in this very kitchen.

This time Draco sat facing him, but unfortunately this time Potter wasn't half-naked, though he looked rather good in his ripped jeans and a tight grey t-shirt. Draco noticed he left his strange black sweater with a hood on the bench near the kitchen counter and Draco sincerely hoped he'd forget about it.

"Kreacher! Kreacher, where are you hiding peppermint leaves, you evil creature?" Potter was rummaging through the kitchen cabinets frustratedly. "Why the fuck everything is in the fucking disorder?" he muttered to himself.

"Kreacher thinks everything is in the perfect order, Master. Master ordered Kreacher to cook for young Master Black, so Kreacher made the kitchen comfortable for his cooking," the elf said visibly enjoying Potter's frustration.

Draco watched with a smile how Potter glared at his elf, who looked at him innocently, but then finally gave up and glanced at one of the shelves on the wall near the stove. Potter glared at him once more but then took some leaves from that shelf and made two cups of peppermint tea; he added some sugar to Draco's and brought them to the table.

"Thanks," Draco said softly when Potter placed a cup in front of him.

Potter smiled and sat next to Draco, sneaking a toast from Severus' plate, that made the man glared with irritation while Draco was trying to suppress his snickering.

"Are you capable of being serious, Potter?" Severus sounded tired and rather annoyed. "There is no need to answer that question," he held his hand when Potter was going to say something.

Potter rolled his eyes but didn't try to argue and stopped grinning, remaining silent.

"I have some news," Severus said after a couple of quiet minutes of drinking tea. Draco felt Potter straightened next to him. "Dark Lord decided to act rather transparently. He's growing up more and more frustrated without any opportunity to detect your location, Potter, over these two months. He hasn't talked to me a lot about his plans, but I know for sure that he called back Rowle with his group, who were on their watch at Godrik's Hollow. I don't know if Travers is back from where he's watching the Burrow, but as I can see it Macnair, Dolohov and Rouge are still here."

"Are you sure about Godrik's Hollow?" Potter asked rather impatiently. Draco was almost sure he wanted to ask this the moment Severus had said about it.

"You are not going there, Potter."

"But you're sure, aren't you?"

Severus didn't say anything just narrowed his eyes on Potter and was glaring at him intently.

"Severus, what were you saying about Dark Lord's transparent actions?" Draco decided to speak.

Still glaring at Potter dangerously, the man reached for his robe pocket and threw " _The Daily Prophet_ " on the table in front of Draco. Draco took it and gasped. Potter leaned to him to look at it too. Large photo of angry Potter was staring at them from the front page with big letters on the top of it just above the photo: " _UNDESIRABLE NO.1_ ".

Potter snorted. "Like it's something new," he said. "Merlin's pants, that bloody paper is insulting me every bloody chance it gets!" he cried out dramatically.

"It is not just an insult, Potter," Severus hissed at him. "It is the official order to capture you at every possible opportunity. Not only Death Eaters are after you now. It is an official crime for a common wizard to help you or to hide you. This is going to be spread in the Muggle world too, just like it was with your precious Black. Do you finally understand?" Severus glanced at Draco. "This all was Lucius' idea."

Draco tensed and felt himself shivering like in the cold; he didn't know why the mention of his father caused such an idiotic reaction from him. He tugged at the sleeves of Potter's sweater he was still wearing and tried to control his breathing.

"Hey," he heard Potter said in a soft voice. "Are you alright?" Potter placed one of his hands around Draco's shoulders and put the other over trembling fingers of Draco's clasped hands squeezing slightly. Draco looked at him. "It's okay, Draco, everything is okay," Potter was saying rubbing Draco's shoulder with one hand and squeezing his fingers with the other.

Severus stood up sharply. "Potter, I am waiting for you in the library when you are done with that little therapy session." And with that his Godfather walked out of the kitchen slamming the door behind him.

Draco felt Potter was tugging him closer to himself and he gave up.

He leaned against Potter's chest and buried his face in Potter's neck and let himself cry, clutching with both hands at the front of Potter's t-shirt. Potter just hugged him tightly and held him, stroking his hair and rocking him a little.

Draco didn't know why he was crying like this. He knew he was scared for Harry, really scared. And it seemed like it was the first time he actually realized it, and it scared him too.

Also he was worried about his father, almost as much as he was worried for Harry, but he knew it wasn't right, his father was a Death Eater, Draco shouldn't be worried for him. But he couldn't stop and he hated himself for this.

And he still didn't know anything about his mother. Severus refused to tell him something and Harry wasn't able to know anything about her through his visions. Draco just hoped she was safe and believed he would see her someday.

Eventually he stopped crying and just snuggled closer to Potter enjoying the feeling of comfort and safety, warmth of Potter's body and gentleness of his touch.

"Do you feel better?" Potter asked him.

Draco looked up at him and just nodded, too exhausted to feel embarrassed and too tired to speak.

"Let's get you to your room," Potter stroked some hair from Draco's face, it felt awfully nice. "So you could rest or maybe even sleep. I'm sorry I woke you up that early, but I think the sunrise was worth it, wasn't it?" he smiled at Draco. Suddenly there was a wet flannel in his hand and he was wiping Draco's face with it carefully.

Then they went to Draco's room and Draco was vaguely aware of Potter helping him to take off the sweater, unlacing and taking off Draco's shoes and covering him with very warm and soft comforter when Draco fell on top of the covers of his bed.

In a few moments Draco was asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and sorry for any mistakes ❤


	3. Chapter three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2019/12/16

** Chapter Three  **

Draco thought he was scared when he learned about Potter being an _'Undesirable No.1_ ' three days ago, but it was nothing comparing to what he felt when his Dark Mark abruptly started burning more painfully than usual at the same time as Granger and Weasley appeared in the middle of his room this late afternoon covered in blood and holding Kreacher's hands who was worriedly saying something about his Master.

The sound of the book that Draco was reading falling on the floor made Weasley turned towards him sharply and Draco gasped loudly in horror on the sight of Potter in Weasley's arms who was unconscious, terribly pale and covered in great amount of blood.

Draco started to stand up from the bed slightly aware of the pain in his left forearm and Granger shouting " _Expelliarmus!_ " in his direction, he didn't even bother to try to hold on his wand.

He noticed Weasley was grasping Harry's neck tightly but it didn't stop blood from pouring out of it.

Draco knew he was trembling – from pain, from fear, from shock – but he couldn't help himself and tried to force back his tears and tried to find his voice to ask Kreacher to get Severus.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Granger asked him breathing heavily and still pointing her wand at him.

Draco looked at her. He saw his own wand clutched in her other hand. Granger was covered in blood too, she had a few scratches on her face and a long deep wound was seen on her arm through the torn sleeve of her jacket.

"Just stun the Ferret, 'Mione, and tell me what to do 'till Harry will bleed himself out!" Weasley shouted at her.

Next moment Harry's body shuddered violently and he started screaming.

"Lay him on the bed," Draco said hurriedly and moved out of the Weasley's way who obeyed him, probably too scared to realize who he was listening to. "Kreacher!" Draco looked at the elf who was still standing in the middle of the room. "Bring essences of Dittany and Murtlap, Blood-Replenishing and Pain-Relieving potions from my lab." Elf didn't move. "Now!" Draco shouted at him.

"Kreacher's Master ordered Kreacher not to listen young Master Black's orders," elf said quietly.

"Fuck!" Draco cried out in frustration.

"I have potions," Granger said much calmer but still not lowering her wand. "Harry brought some a few times. Were they from you?"

"Some from me, some from Severus," Draco answered.

"Snape? Just what the bloody fuck is going on here?" Weasley was shouting. "Why the fuck are you here, Malfoy?"

"He needs Severus," Draco muttered nervously when Harry's screams grew even louder.

Draco wanted to come to him but Weasley managed to shove him away though one of his hands was still pressed to Harry's neck who was now squirming on the bed. Draco glared at freckled git with irritation.

"Granger, do you know the spell that can stop the blood?" he looked at her and was surprised to see she had already placed all the potions from some little handbag on the bedside table. He quickly drank the phial of Pain-Relieving potion to not let the pain in his Mark prevent him from thinking properly.

"I do," she said and exchanged a glance with Weasley before leaning over Harry and muttering a spell.

Draco crouched in front of Kreacher who was still here and looked rather nervous himself. "Kreacher, I want to ask you to do me a favor," he said to the elf. "I want you to find Severus and bring him here as soon as possible. Do you think you can do that for me? It is not an order."

"But Kreacher's Mast–"

"It is not an order Kreacher, it is just a favor," Draco pleaded all the Ancient Gods it would work. "You are doing a favor for me now and then I will do a favor for you someday if you will be needing something." Elf's eyes grew impossibly wide. "Can you do it for me, Kreacher? Please?" Draco didn't think it was possible but Kreacher's eyes became even wider, then he nodded a few times and disappeared.

Draco sighed with relief and stood up turning to his bed where Potter was still screaming. Granger managed to stop the bleeding and now was trying to pour the potions down Potter's throat. She wasn't very successful in it. 

" _Rennervate_ him," Draco said watching Harry's painful face.

"Hermione, why are you listening to him?" the Weasel yelled grabbing Granger's hand when she was about to cast a spell.

"Because he's saying proper things, Ron!" she yelled back.

"Proper things, my arse! It's bloody Malfoy we're talking 'bout, 'Mione!"

"Language, Ronald! We will deal with him later, we must help Harry first!"

"Hermione, you just almost killed the fucking snake but you can't bloody _Stupefy_ the pointy git!"

"Ron, I'm thinking about Harry!"

"Are you trying to say that I am not?!"

How Potter had even managed to survive that long with such friends Draco had absolutely no idea. If these two were bickering like that while Harry was bleeding and screaming, laying in the same bed they were sitting on, Draco couldn't even imagine what they were like while Harry was conscious and not in pain.

"Just fucking _Rennervate_ him, Granger, and then you two can fuck off doing your stupid brawling somewhere else!" Draco shouted as loudly as he could.

It was absolutely horrible watching Harry like this and being so helpless to do something to help him when his wand was in Granger's pocket and Weasley didn't let him even stand near Harry let alone trying to touch him.

Draco felt like he was going to cry and he didn't even care that Granger and Weasley might see him like that.

He watched how Granger was trying to cast _Ennervate_ on Potter but it didn't work even the fifth time and now she was looking like she was going to cry too, clutching at Potter's shoulders and trying to shake him awake.

Then suddenly Potter started laughing. But it didn't sound like Potter at all and Draco knew too well to whom this laughter belonged to.

Seemed like Potter's idiotic friends finally realized he wasn't screaming just because of pain. Weasley stood up from the bed sharply and was muttering something under his breath while Granger started crying and shaking Potter even more frantically.

Draco was trying not to cry himself watching Harry's face grew paler and wound on his neck started bleeding again. He managed to resist the urge to shove stupid Mudblood away and try to steal his own wand from her.

"You're good at Healing, aren't you?" Weasley's question startled Granger as well as Draco. "Aren't you, Malfoy?" he repeated impatiently when Draco remained silent.

"Yes, Weasley, I am."

"Will you help Harry if Hermione will give you your wand?"

Granger gasped audibly, but Draco ignored her.

"I can give you an Unbreakable Vow that I will do all I can to help Harry and that I'm not going to hurt him. Or you."

After two Draco's last words expression on Weasley's face changed a little and he turned to look at Granger. Draco held his breath and watched them staring at each other. It seemed they were just as good at silent conversions as they were at hysterical bickering.

A few moments later Granger stood up, stepped out of the bed and held out Draco's wand for him.

Draco hurried to take it and then hurried to Harry who already started choking on his devil's laughter. He stroked Harry's sweaty hair from his face, calming himself while he tried to feel all the magic boiling inside of him and trying to take control of it.

" _Ennervate!_ " he said and Harry's eyes flew open. He stopped laughing and judging by the painful but concentrated look of his face he was trying to Occlude from the Dark Lord's mind or whatever visions that bastard was sending to him.

Draco ignored Granger's relieved but panicked "Harry!" and was grateful for Weasley who didn't let her jump on the bed.

Draco concentrated on his magic once more and cast a spell to stop the bleeding from Harry's neck, then he cast quick _Tergeo_ to vanish the blood. The cut on Harry's neck didn't look like the cut at all. Draco carefully touched two angry red dots with his trembling fingers.

"What's happened?" he whispered.

Draco was sure Potter was going to go to Godrik's Hollow after Severus told him that Dark Lord called Rowle back. They didn't meet after that morning when Harry showed him the sunrise, but he sent Draco a note writing that he and his friends would be busy for a couple of days.

He suddenly remembered Weasley was shouting something about the snake–

"What's happened?" he almost cried, panic and fear obvious in his voice.

"It was a snake. She- she was a snake. His snake, Nagini." Granger answered him still crying in Weasley's arms.

"Did she–" Draco cleared his throat but it didn't help to steady his shaking voice. "Did Nagini bite him?"

"Yes," Weasley answered while Granger started crying even louder shuddering with all her body. "I knew something was wrong with her, but it was too late when I finally realized why Harry could understand her and we not."

Draco didn't listen to him. He stared at Harry's neck in horrified shock, he didn't bother to hide or wipe the tears when they started falling down his cheeks.

"He needs Severus," he whispered.

"Draco?" it was Harry's hoarse voice.

"Harry," Draco whispered back, one of his hands was clutching Harry's shoulder near Nagini's bite and the other flew to cup the side of Harry's face.

"Draco," even Harry's voice sounded painful. "Draco, why are you here?" he asked.

"Harry, you're at Grimmauld."

"I can't– Draco– Ron and Herm–" he grasped Draco's hand in his and was trying to sit up, but then froze when he saw his friends standing near the bed. "What's going on?" he half whispered.

"Your elf, mate," Weasley said. They stared at each other for a few moments. "We're alright," Weasley added softly while Granger conjured a glass and filled it with water.

"You need to heal yourself," Harry said worriedly, but he took a glass and drank. "I saw you fell from the stairs, Ron, and I think I remember Nagini was trying to attack Hermione. How we were able to escape?"

"I'm fine, Harry," Granger soothed him, refilling the glass when he held it to her. "She pushed me away with her tail when I tried to throw her from you and it blew me off on some shelves on the wall. I've got just a few cuts and scratches. It's okay, Harry. But you should have seen Ron, he was fabulous!" Draco raised one eyebrow while Weasley's face became the same shade as his hair. "He managed to came up to us and apparated us away!" Granger beamed at the Weasel.

"I couldn't do it if you weren't attacking that slimy bitch so effectively," he muttered awkwardly.

"Thank you guys," Harry fell back to the pillows exhaustedly. "Sorry I've got us in the fucking mess again. I am such an idiot, I would be dead without you two." He hid his face in his hands and sighed heavily.

"Don't be a fool, Harry!" Granger cried out almost fiercely.

"Listen guys, I know I need to explain you a lot," Harry ignored Weasel's snort and Granger's skeptical glance. "I'll promise to tell you everything later, you both need to heal and to rest first. And we need to wait for Snape," Harry held his hand to stop Weasley from speaking. "We need Snape. I need him. Nagini bit me and she's venomous, but Snape is the one who has an antidote and he's damn good at Healing. So he'll come, not so soon unfortunately, but I know he will. I want you to try to trust him, please. Please, listen, guys! He's on our side he's always been, trust me! I trust him with my life. And I trust Draco. Thank you for not hurting him, by the way." Draco squeezed his hand and Harry smiled at him tiredly.

They all were silent for a few moments.

"Go to the bathroom, heal and clean yourself. Do you have all the necessary potions, 'Mione?" Granger nodded. "Are you okay with sleeping on that bed for now?" Harry gestured to the bed at the opposite wall with his head. "I'm not sure any other room is clean enough for living, but I can ask Kre–"

"No, no, it's okay Harry," Granger interrupted him. "I want to be near you." She smiled at him and looked like she was going to say something else, but Weasley was already dragging her out of the room.

"Kreacher!" Harry called for the elf who appeared near the bed already muttering something. "Shut it, Kreacher. Tell me why did you bring my friends in here," he ordered.

"Mister Snape called for Kreacher and gave him a little piece of parchment. He ordered Kreacher to find Master immediately and made sure Master's friends read the parchment before Kreacher must apparate them here." Elf suddenly started shivering. "Young Master Black, Kreacher is sorry!" he cried out and threw himself on the floor in front of Draco. "Kreacher cannot do a favor young Master Black asked him to do! Kreacher cannot reach Mister Snape! Young Master Black, Kreacher is so sorry!"

"Kreacher, stop!" Draco said him worriedly. "You did your best, Kreacher, thank you." He turned to Harry. "I asked him to bring Severus when I saw you," he explained. "I was so scared, it was so horrible, you were so pale and then you were screaming–" he couldn't even end the sentence and started crying again.

"Draco–"

"Harry, please, don't die!" Draco suddenly blurted out and buried his face in the pillow near Harry's neck.

Harry just chuckled. "I'm not planning to," he said softly and then shifted on the bed and tugged Draco to himself. Draco got the message and hurried to lie next to Harry pressing himself as close to him as he possibly could.

He heard Harry was saying to Kreacher that he didn't need to try to find Severus, 'he'll come anyway, he knows what's happened to us'. He also ordered his elf to make a bed for his friends and bring more pillows; he asked him if he would be able to cook something for dinner for all of them and Kreacher assured him that no one would leave the kitchen feeling hungry, and then disappeared.

Draco calmed down a little and noticed that Harry was breathing very heavily and squeezing Draco's waist rather painfully.

He cursed himself when he realized that he didn't give Harry any potions. He sat up on the bed and helped Harry to drink a Pain-Relieving potion, seeing that Granger already gave him the Blood-Replenishing judging by two empty phials that were standing on his bedside table.

"You went to Godrik's Hollow, didn't you?" Draco asked.

"Yeah... There weren't any Death Eaters but there was his fucking snake. I don't even know how, but she was able to use Bathilda Bagshot's body to lure us into a trap."

They were laying in silence for a few minutes. Draco snuggled closer to Harry and closed his eyes.

"Are you aware that you're slowly dying right now?" he asked him very quietly.

"Draco, I won't die," Harry answered softly, gently caressing Draco's back. "Your Godfather is bloody clever bastard, do you know that?"

"I know, but– What do you mean?"

"When Nagini bit me I passed out, I suppose my shields had gone weak and I slipped into Riddle's mind. He was too excited that Nagini found me and was able to bite me so he didn't even notice me inside of his sick fucking head. And I saw everything what happened through his eyes. I felt his enormous triumph when he saw myself falling out of the window with Ron and Hermione. And then we disappeared. I felt such a strong anger and fury, I'd kill everyone who'd risk to show up in front of me." Harry apparently felt Draco tensed in his arms, he drew him closer and cupped his face with his free hand. "I mean he felt all of this, not me. It's just hard to separate his thoughts and emotions from mine when I trapped in his mind like this. Did I scare you?"

He did. But Draco knew that Harry was strong, stronger that Dark Lord's emotions, even stronger than he could possibly imagine himself.

"Don't be stupid, Potter," he muttered and pressed his face in the crock of Harry's neck.

Harry sighed and continued talking while stroking Draco's hair. "Then there was a Death Eater's meeting where I, I mean he, _Crucioed_ pretty much almost everyone. And Snape was there too, I think he still is. Anyway, after all those tortures and his furious emotions it became harder and harder to hold my Occlumency shields in place and I knew if they'd fall and he'd realized I was in his head all that time, I won't be able to shield my mind properly and Snape and your parents might be in danger. So I kinda... acted like I've just got there."

"How? Did he believe you?" Draco lifted his head to look at him while musing at the fact that Harry had time and sense to care about Draco's parents' lives.

"He did," Harry grinned. "I might have said something like 'hey loser, I'm still not dead'."

"Potter, you're an idiot."

"Maybe, but I'm a rather cunning idiot," he grinned again and Draco snorted skeptically, hiding his face in Harry's neck again. "He then started laughing at me and talking about how I'm going to die in agony and how he's going to reward his stupid snake for my death. And he talked about it with his Death Eaters and they were all laughing, he talked to me out loud and I think Snape realized I was in his mind and could hear everything. He looked Riddle straight in the eye and said that fortunately my friends aren't smart enough to cast a Freezing charm directly on my bite and then a Stasis charm over my body if I didn't get the antidote in time. And then he said with such a confidence in his voice that fortunately no one ever has this kind of antidote because Nagini's venom is very unique."

"I love my Godfather," Draco said smiling into Harry's neck. Severus was a fucking genius! He managed to help Harry right in front of Dark Lord's eyes! Literally. "When do you think I should cast these spells on you?" he asked looking up at Harry.

"I don't know. Snape was saying I will have a couple of hours. I actually don't feel like dying at all."

"It might mean nothing," Draco said to him. "I think you should use a bathroom too, and then I'll heal your bruises and cast the spells."

"Harry," they heard Granger's worried voice. "Harry, what's going on?"

Draco sat up sharply and tried not to blush. Weasley and Granger came back into the room wearing clean clothes and looking much better and fresher, but still very tired.

Harry sat up on the bed next to him. "It's okay, Hermione, Draco's helping me," he said smiling softly at her.

"Mate– " Weasley started saying something but Harry just looked at him and Weasley stopped though he was still looking very uncertain and a little annoyed.

"I'm going to take a quick shower," Harry said and stood up from the bed, swaying a little.

"Do you need help?" Draco realized that Weasley and even Granger spoke at the same time with him and they all stared at each other.

Harry laughed loudly. "I'm not a dying man here," he said and Draco bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from pointing out that actually it was exactly what Harry was at that moment. "Draco, do you think you could explain everything to them while I'm gone?" Draco didn't expect that, but he nodded before Harry gave him a smile and walked out.

He glanced nervously at Harry's friends who seated themselves on the bed the opposite from his and were staring at him strangely. He sat on his own bed and cleared his throat.

"So, for how long have you been here, Malfoy?" Weasley asked him unfriendly.

"I've been living in this house since the night when the Dark Lord captured the Ministry of Magic in the beginning of August," he answered. Weasley and Granger turned sharply to stare at each other, both wide-eyed. "But I don't think Potter was talking about that explanation."

"What do you mean?" Granger looked at him.

Draco told them everything Harry had just told him about being trapped in Dark Lord's mind, about Severus' help and about real danger from Nagini's bite. Granger made a few attempts to interrupt him but Weasley's hand on her shoulder was making her change her mind. When Draco stopped talking, Harry's friends were both looking pale and rather scared and Granger had tears in her eyes again.

She took her small handbag and was rummaging through it for a few minutes before she stood up and walked to the door. "I'll go and give him clean clothes," she murmured slipping out of the room.

Draco and Weasley sat in silence for several long awkward minutes staring in opposite directions.

"Don't think I'm really going to pretend I trust you, Ferret," Weasley spoke up eventually. "I'm not stupid, I knew Harry wasn't just running around the woods almost every morning. I just had no idea this was all about you, Malfoy. I don't know what are you playing at, but... If you'll ever give me a chance– I'll take it with pleasure and without any hesitation."

Draco just rolled his eyes and was about to reply something sarcastic as Harry and Granger walked into the room talking quietly. Or Granger was talking while Harry was frowning at her and trying not to stumble over his own feet.

"Don't say I do not trust you, 'Mione, you know perfectly well that it's not true," Harry interrupted her, leaning on her shoulder for support. "You're tired and exhausted and Malfoy's very good at Healing. It'll be alright, I promise," he tried to smile at her.

Draco stood up from the bed the moment he saw Harry and realized how weakened he actually was. But Weasley was faster and when Harry finished talking he was in Weasley's arms already and was dragged by the redhead to the bed. Draco stepped aside and noticed that sheets on his bed were clean from Harry's blood and wondered how Kreacher had managed to change them so fast.

"Do you have a Sleeping drought?" he didn't hear Granger came to stand next to him. "I healed what I could, he wasn't wounded much. But I think we should put him into sleep before casting a Stasis charm."

"Draco," Harry called for him from the bed before Draco had a chance to answer to Granger. "Will you be with me?" he asked quietly.

"Of course, Harry," he sat on the bed and took Harry's hand in his then turned to Granger frowning nervously: "How long has it been since he was bitten?"

"It was about fifteen minutes between Nagini's attack and our appearance here," Weasley answered to him. He stood at the end of the bed clutching the footboard with white knuckles.

"Good," Draco whispered, this was good, they had time.

"Try to rest, guys," Harry was saying to his friends. "Draco will cast the spells and then Severus will fix me and we'll have dinner together and I'll tell you everything. Now I feel like I'm about to pass out. It's burning everywhere."

Draco hurried to fetch the phial with Sleeping drought from the drawer of his nightstand while Granger was looking around anxiously and Weasley was mumbling something unpleasant about Draco's Godfather.

Draco held Harry's head while he swallowed the potion and then crawled over him on the other side of the bed to have a better access to Nagini's bite. Granger immediately seated herself on the bed next to Harry where Draco was sitting earlier. She leaned over Harry and was watching intently how Draco cast a Freezing charm on the bite. They both watched how the side of Harry's neck was slowly crusted with thin ice. They exchanged worried glances when Harry's heavy breathing suddenly stopped, and they hurried to check his pulse. Draco closed his eyes with relief and tried not to cry when he could feel the thump of Harry's heartbeat with his palm on Harry's chest. Granger were grasping Harry's wrist nervously but she looked at Draco with confidence.

"Now the Stasis," she said.

Draco nodded. He took his time to concentrate and to feel his magic again. It was much easier to cast this spell on the cauldron with bubbling potion, but now he needed to stop reactions in whole Harry's body. It would be the most difficult and the most important thing he had ever done in his life, maybe even including the repair of the Vanishing Cabinet.

" _Stazi motite_ ," Draco whispered a little shakily, waving his wand above Harry's motionless body. " _Stazi motite_ ," he repeated more firmly and swished his wand once more over Harry's neck.

He didn't see and didn't care where Weasley was and what he was doing, but he saw Granger, who, with a bated breath, was watching Draco while he was casting. She was still sitting on the bed clutching Harry's hand tightly and staring at his lifeless face.

Draco laid his hand on Harry's chest over his heart again, trying to feel his heartbeat. It was almost two minutes and one anxious exchange of glances with Granger before Draco was able to feel a little trump under the palm of his hand.

He closed his eyes and lay carefully on the bed between the wall and Harry, nuzzling his nose to Harry's shoulder and keeping his hand on Harry's chest.

"'Mione, is Malfoy wearing Harry's old hoodie?" he heard a question in Weasley's amazed voice before drifting into sleep.

Draco was slowly waking up to the sound of loud snoring and some grumbled muttering.

"Kreacher won't be touching the Mudblood," Draco heard Kreacher's annoyed voice.

"I thought your Master ordered you not to use this word," it was Severus' quiet growl and Draco opened his eyes and sat up sharply.

The first thing he saw was sleeping Granger half-sitting on the bed and half-laying on top of Harry. Harry's chest and Draco's hand were covered in Granger's curly bushy hair. Draco noticed the wet spot on the pillow near her face, seemed like she was crying a lot before finally falling asleep.

Loud snoring belonged to Weasley who was sprawled in Severus' armchair near the window.

Severus himself stood near the bed and was glaring at Kreacher who was glaring right back at him.

"It is an order, elf, wake her up now," Severus said in a low voice to Kreacher, who remained unmoving. The man sighed heavily and turned his head to the bed. "Draco, wake Miss Granger up, I need access to Potter," he ordered when he saw that Draco wasn't asleep.

Draco glanced at him with annoyance, but for Harry's sake just silently shook Granger's shoulder.

She jerked awake and sat up blinking rapidly and looking around nervously, and almost jumped off the bed when she saw Severus. She moved to the armchair with snoring Weasley in it and kicked him rather hard in his calf.

"Oi! What the bloody fuck, 'Mione?" the Weasel cried out.

"Language, Weasley," Severus snapped at him already waving his wand above Harry's body.

Draco thought Weasley's face must be a rather comical sight right now but he didn't want to look away from Harry's, who was still motionless and almost breathless and frighteningly cold.

"Severus, what–" Draco began.

"Draco, was it you who cast the spells?" Severus cut him off.

"Yes, is something wr–"

"Remove the Stasis," Severus ordered rudely. Draco noticed he was clutching a small phial in his hand.

"Is it the antidote? Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Remove the Stasis, Draco," Severus repeated in his low dangerous voice, glaring at Draco angrily. "We do not have all night, and while Stasis is indeed quite helpful, Potter still might die. Also it is not good for his vitals being under such a charm for that long."

"Malfoy," he looked up at Granger and she might have seen all his emotions on his face, because she just stared at him and didn't say whatever she was going to.

Weasley glared at him fiercely when Granger started sobbing into his shoulder whispering something weakly.

Draco himself was shaking uncontrollably and did his best not to dive into panic that was rising inside of him. He ignored everyone in the room and concentrated on Harry.

" _Finite Incantatem_ ," he whispered and immediately felt and heard that Harry started breathing heavily.

Draco opened his eyes (when did he close them?) and looked at him nervously but Harry seemed to be still asleep and Severus was already muttering some spells again.

After a few moments Harry opened his eyes and stared at the selling unfocussed. Draco watched how Severus was helping him to sit up and drink the antidote.

"It's burning," he heard Harry muttered. "It's fucking burning everywhere."

"I know, Harry," Draco's Godfather said softly and so unusually gently, it made even Draco as well as Granger and Weasley stared at the man in shock. "I'm afraid it will be going like this for a while."

Severus ignored their stares and was murmuring more spells and briefly touching Harry's body with his fingertips.

"Are you feeling any better, Potter? Is it still burning?" he asked, frowning on the diagram above the bed.

Draco looked at it too. He couldn't understand much, but clearly Nagini's venom was still in Harry's body and it caused odd reactions in his organism. Seemed like something inside of Harry was destroying slowly, but instead of weakening him it only made him stronger. Though he wasn't sure he was right.

Draco felt his thigh was squeezed. He put his still slightly trembling hand on top of Harry's and looked at his face. Harry was smiling at him dreamily, his skin pale but his eyes bright and so beautifully green.

"Thank you, Draco," he said softly.

Draco was sure he was blushing; he stroked fingers of Harry's hand on his thigh and smiled at him too, trying to ignore the stares of everyone in this room.

"I just did the spells, Potter," Draco muttered. "Severus is the one who really saved your life."

"Thank you too, Severus," Harry whispered and closed his eyes.

"Bloody hell, did you hear it, 'Mione?" the Weasel was almost shouting. "Six bloody years of saving his sorry arse out of all that shit and not even a word! And now what? Thank you Draco? Thank you Severus? Bloody Severus?! Harry, are you sure your brain isn't ruined?"

"I advise you to stop right this instant, Weasley," Severus snapped and glared at the redhead idiot.

But Harry was laughing, actually laughing, throwing his head back and putting an arm over his eyes while his other hand continued squeezing Draco's thigh. And Draco couldn't help himself, he smiled. Because it was impossible to look at Harry and didn't smile.

"Is Malfoy smiling, 'Mione? No, look, the Ferret is grinning! What the bloody hell? Have everyone gone mental?"

"Calm down, Ron," Harry said but he was looking at Draco.

"Answer my questions, Potter. Is burning gone?" Severus asked frowning at still visible diagram.

"Er, not sure it's gone completely, but it's much more bearable than it was," Harry answered.

"Harry has a rather high threshold for pain," apparently Granger thought that conversation wouldn't be properly complete if she won't say something.

"I'm aware," Severus muttered not looking at her. "Potter, I need to talk to you right now. Alone."

"Do you really believe I'm going to leave Harry with you alone?" Weasley said, surprisingly without shouting. Granger straightened next to him.

Draco rolled his eyes at them, _bloody Gryffindors_.

"It's okay, Ron. I told you guys I trust Snape, and he is helping. Go to the kitchen, Kreacher made a dinner."

Harry's friends weren't looking more convincing after his words and it took them whole three fucking minutes and multiple annoyed glares from Severus to finally leave the room.

"I said I need to talk to Potter alone, Draco," his Godfather looked at him.

"Is everything alright?" Draco wasn't about to give up easily. "I saw the diagram, Harry is healthy and very much alive. But I also saw that some part of him, something in his core, was ruined by Nagini's venom somehow, but it's very strange, it didn't actually make him weaker or–"

"That's enough, Draco. Out of the room, now." Draco didn't notice when Severus became so angry.

"Severus," Harry said very softly and Severus' eyes were immediately on him, Draco watched in amused shock how his Godfather's cheeks became a light shade of pink. "Is Draco talking about what I think he is talking?" Harry asked with something that Draco thought was hope in his voice.

"I will tell you as soon as we are alone," Severus said with glance at Draco's direction.

"Draco," Harry looked at him pleadingly and took his hand in both of his. "You should go and have some dinner too–"

"Potter, it's half past nine," Draco interrupted him. "I had my dinner before your pompous appearance."

"Oh... Then–"

"I'll go. But don't expect me to be polite to these idiotic excuses of human beings you're calling your friends."

Dramatic exit Draco had been planning fell miserably when he had to climb over Potter in order to get off the bed. He was proud of himself that he didn't blush.

"Ask Hermione to bring me some food please, if you'd suddenly decide she's worth enough for you to talk to," Potter said him coolly and Draco already regretted a little the way he talked about Harry's friends. But just a little.

He didn't acknowledge Potter's words and made up for his dramatic exit by slamming the door shut behind himself as loudly as he could.

He couldn't understand why it irritated him so much that Harry and Severus had some secrets from everyone. And he couldn't understand what exactly irritated him more, the fact that they had secrets or the fact that they both wanted him to leave them alone.

Weasley and Granger were eating and talking quietly when Draco came to the kitchen. They stopped when they saw him and were both staring at him strangely.

Draco rolled his eyes and went to the kitchen counter to make himself a cup of tea.

"Is young Master Black wanting something?" Kreacher appeared next to him. "Kreacher made a kidney pie with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables."

"No, Kreacher, thank you, I'm not hungry," Draco answered to the elf. "Just make a dinner tray for– um, for your Master."

"Malfoy, why are you here?" Weasley asked when Kreacher disappeared with a crack.

Draco scowled at his cup and ignored the question.

He didn't want to sit on the table next to them, so he leaned against the line of kitchen cabinets and sipped his tea quietly.

"I asked you a question, Malfoy," apparently Weasley wasn't the one with the patience. Not that this was news for Draco, he just hoped Harry's friends were exhausted enough to leave him alone.

"And why should I answer it?" Draco drawled.

"Just who do you think you are, you–"

"Enough, Ron!" Granger interrupted loudly. She laid her fork near her plate at looked at Draco thoroughly.

"Why are you wearing Harry's clothes, Malfoy?" Weasley started again. He had an idiotically perfect ability to ask the most stupid questions.

"Because I find them rather comfortable."

"Ron, honestly!" Granger cried out with irritation. "Is it the most important thing now?"

"But– Malfoy is wearing Harry's clothes, 'Mione! How the hell did it happen? I'm Harry's best mate and I've never worn his clothes!"

"Ron, do you hear yourself? Stop being ridiculous and eat your dinner," Granger said rolling her eyes, and for once Draco agreed with her.

Well, actually he even might agree with Weasley here. Draco imagined how he was looking in Weasel's eyes, wearing Harry's grey hooded sweater that was obviously very big for him and Harry's Gryffindor red pyjama-bottoms that was old enough to fit Draco well, his hair without gel and probably a little ruffled from sleep.

Draco panicked for a moment and almost ran to his room to change, but then decided he didn't care. He loved to wear Harry's clothes. And if it made Weasley that mad he would do that more often.

He smirked smugly looking at Weasley's angry face and continued sipping the tea.

"Malfoy," it was Granger this time. "How exactly did it happen that you're here? Did Harry allow it? Did you change the side in the war or what? What about your parents?"

"Too many questions, Granger," Draco said in bored voice. "And your precious Potter is pretty able to answer all of them, so I advise you to ask him if you're so interested."

"How long has this thing been going on between you two? That's why you're here?" Weasley asked then suddenly looked at Granger with a loud gasp. "We should've guessed, 'Mione! With all this unhealthy obsession through the whole last year!"

"How could I not see it," Granger muttered with slightly wide eyes. "You're so right, Ron."

"Yeah, now I see it too. All these disappearances–"

"But why was he trying to convince us that Malfoy is a Death Eater if he had relationship with him? It's illogical!"

"Harry's not very logical, 'Mione, especially if it's something about the Ferret, you know this."

"You're right, Ron, you're right. It might start like that, but then something– After that _Sectumsepra_ incident? It made sense. Or Malfoy just– no, then he wouldn't be so worried..."

Granger continued her muttering looking at Weasley who was nodding and saying a word or two occasionally. Seemed like they forgot Draco was there, but not that he cared about it.

He much more cared about words they were saying. Harry was talking about him the whole sixth year with his friends? Of course Draco had noticed that Potter was watching him or even following him sometimes, it was obvious he guessed that Draco became a Death Eater and Potter wanted to catch him. But Weasley and Granger were talking about it like it was some obsession, inability to think or talk about something or someone else.

Draco felt thrilled and exited. Recently he started to think that Harry actually might like him back, and now... Had Harry liked him since last year? Did Granger and Weasley really believe they had some kind of relationship with Harry? But–

"But what about Weaselette?"

Harry's friends stared at him. _Fuck, did he say it out loud?_

"Ginny and Harry were certainly dating," Granger answered somehow automatically, then stared at him some more. "And you? Are you and Harry–"

"There is no me and Harry, Granger," he interrupted her.

She looked at him confused then started blushing furiously, frowning at her plate. She was about to say something again, when Severus came to the kitchen looking rather annoyed.

"Potter," he spitted, "thinks that the fact he nearly died gives him a right to order me around." He glared at Draco when he failed to suppress his snicker. "Where is his dinner?"

"Kreacher!" Draco called the elf. Kreacher appeared already holding full dinner tray. "Thanks, Kreacher," Draco said and tried to take it, but the tray flew in the air and out of the kitchen following closely by Severus. Draco glared at his back and hurried after him.

Granger and Weasley started talking to each other the moment Draco stepped out of the room. 

"Severus, do you think–" Potter stopped talking and the grin disappeared from his face when he spotted Draco walking into the room after his Godfather.

He was already lying under covers of the bed and tried to sit up when he saw them. Severus hurried to help him, much to Draco's annoyance.

Harry murmured quiet "thanks" when Severus placed the tray with dinner on his lap. Draco tried not to feel irritated, angry and hurt from the fact that Severus stole this tray and Harry's "thanks" from him.

"I asked Kreacher to make this tray for you," he was unable to not to point that out. Harry smiled at him warmly and Draco sat on the edge of his bed forgetting all about his irritation.

"I am going to come back in a couple of days. I will talk to– and will think about some ways to be sure in my guessing." Severus said frowning at both of them, then turned on his heels and walked out of the room.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes.

"How are you feeling?" Draco asked.

"Great," Harry grinned at him while chewing his pie and managing not to look disgusting with a mouthful of food. "You were right, by the way, about that thing you saw in diagram."

"What thing?"

"Well, that one that was part of me but was destroyed by Nagini's venom. Though Snape is still not sure, I think it's gone," he grinned again. "Sorry, Draco, I can't tell you much," he added a little sadly.

"I understand," Draco said quietly, ignoring a little stab of pain in his chest.

He had been convincing himself all this time that it wasn't that Harry didn't trust him, but simply couldn't tell him some kind of things because Dumbledore ordered him not to tell anyone.

"Are you sure you're not hungry?" Harry asked him a few minutes later, offering Draco a forkful of his kidney pie with a small smile.

Draco smirked and leaned a little forward. Harry's smile grew wider while he moved his hand closer to Draco. Draco thought Harry's eyes became even greener when he watched Draco leaning some more and taking a pie from the fork he was holding.

Draco tried not to blush though he wasn't sure he was successful in it. But he was perfectly sure that his face became redder than Weasley's hair when he heard a cough from the doorway.

Granger walked to the other bed and took her little handbag from it, mumbling awkwardly something about pyjamas for her and the Weasel.

Potter winked at him playfully when she was gone and Draco didn't even bother to care about the fact that his cheeks were red again.

"Er, is it okay if– er, I mean–" Potter was trying to say something when they finished eating and Kreacher took a tray away.

"Potter, please, try to form the full sentence before I fall asleep," Draco drawled lazily, falling on the pillows beside him.

"Er, about that. Is it okay if I sleep here tonight? With you, I mean," Potter was looking gorgeous even when he was blushing.

"It's okay," Draco smiled at him biting his lip. "Technically it's your bed."

"Well, I haven't actually slept here since–" he cut himself and stared at his hands on his lap. "I wasn't here in summer after– after out fifth year, but when I've stayed here this summer, I slept in Sirius' old room."

 _Oh_. Sirius' room was the one place in this house that was forbidden for Draco to come in.

"Let's just sleep, Harry," Draco said quietly and tugged on his hand to make him lay. "Do you need one more dose of Blood-Replenishing potion?"

"No, I don't think so, your Godfather gave me three phials of this shit already," Potter smiled laying back.

"Hey! It was me who was brewing this shit, you, ungrateful oaf!" Draco raised himself on his elbow and smacked Potter's shoulder with his free hand.

Weasley and Granger chose this moment to enter the room. They both glanced strangely in their direction but didn't say anything.

"Sorry," Potter said not sounding sorry at all. He caught Draco's hand in his and smiled at him.

Draco wasn't sure he even noticed appearance of his friends, considering the way he jerked a little when Granger started speaking.

"Harry, are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, 'Mione," he turned to smile at her too. "How are you?"

"We're alright, mate, stop worrying," Weasley said from the bed he was already lying in.

"Yes, we're fine too, Harry, but I feel so tired," Granger sighed. "It would be nice to sleep in the real bed and without that silly fear that someone will see or hear us."

She finally went to lie on the bed too, though she still was exchanging some more words with Harry, asking him if he ate enough or was he feeling comfortable.

Draco wasn't really listening to them. He crawled over Harry again to the other side of their bed, he felt safer sleeping near the wall rather than on the edge.

He fucking loved the way Harry's breath hitched during that moment when Draco was above him.

And Draco literally melted when Harry wrapped his arm around his shoulders the moment Draco slipped under the covers next to him. He laid his head on the side of Harry's chest and pressed himself as close to Harry's body as he could.

After a while he heard murmured "good nights" and someone cast _Nox_ , allowing the room to fall into darkness.

"You sleep in my hoodie," Harry said softly and stroked some hair from Draco's face.

"Um, yes, I– it's warm," Draco whispered feeling himself blushing for hundredth time this night.

"Oh bloody hell, do I really need to hear this?" Weasley groaned from the other side of the room.

Draco hid his face in Harry's chest in embarrassment, but Harry just laughed a little and waved his hand.

"Silencing charm," he said when Draco looked up at him.

"You can do wandless magic?" Draco asked him in shock. He was rather impressed by this fact.

"Er– yeah, a little. Snape gave me a lot of lessons this summer, wandless magic was one of them. And I've been practicing by myself for a while too, it's actually not that hard."

"I didn't know..."

"Well, you don't know a lot of things about me, Malfoy," Harry drawled, clearly trying to imitate Draco's voice.

"Well, now I know that at least parody isn't one of these things," Draco snorted.

Harry just laughed and hugged Draco closer to himself.

Draco closed his eyes and smiled a little, enjoying Harry's warmth and his scent, he nuzzled Harry's chest with his nose inhaling deeply and felt Harry's hand squeezing his shoulder.

Soon Draco was lulled into sleep by the sound of Harry’s soft snoring and his steady breathing.

~

Waking up in Harry's arms was something Draco wanted to experience till the end of his life. It was thrilling, exiting, amazing, peaceful, comfortable, warm. And it made Draco stupidly horny.

He was so horrified when he realized how hard he was just from the feeling of Harry's arms around his body and Harry's breath in his hair; he jumped off the bed and run to the bathroom, thanking Merlin, Morgana and all the Ancient Gods that everyone was still asleep.

"Kreacher made a breakfast for Kreacher's Master and for young Master Black," the elf said appearing in front of Draco when he came into the kitchen almost an hour later, wearing his grey trousers and Harry's green sweater with a Hungarian Horntail above his white shirt. He hoped that the fact that it was Weasel's mother who made it, would annoy the freckled git even more.

Weasley immediately scowled at him leaning back in the chair he was sitting on, and Harry grinned at him from the kitchen counter when he was making tea. Granger didn't even bother to look up from the book she was reading.

"You're not alone here anymore, Malfoy," Weasley said glaring at him. "You can't just use a bathroom for a whole fucking hour in the morning!"

"And why is that? I think I can do whatever the hell I want and you of all people have nothing to say about it."

"But I think–" Weasley started saying angrily.

"Calm down, Ron," Harry interrupted him. "There are enough bathrooms for everyone in this house," he said calmly and gave Draco his cup when he came to him.

"That's not fair," Weasley muttered and Draco smirked at him trying not to look too smug.

He then turned to Harry and took Harry's cup of tea too before walking to sit at the table while Harry was ordering Kreacher to make every meal for everyone at the house, including 'Ron and Hermione'. Kreacher was grumbling disapprovingly but a minute later four plates with toasts, bacon and scrambled eggs appeared on the table.

Harry sat Granger's and Weasley's cups in front of them and seated himself next to Draco. They ate in silence but it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable even despite Weasel's glares and Granger's weird glances.

"What are we going to do next?" Harry asked his friends when they all were drinking their tea.

"Harry," Granger glanced at Draco again. "Are you going to tell us why Malfoy is here and what's going on with Professor Snape?"

"Well, I can't tell much about Snape, it's not my story to tell whoever I want to, but Snape is on our side. He's always been, believe me he has his own reasons. He's a spy. He is risking his life daily to help all of us, to help me. And he knows about– about the things."

"He knows about– Harry, you–"

"No, Hermione, it was Dumbledore who told him, not–"

"Can we talk about this alone?" Weasley asked loudly narrowing his eyes at Draco.

Draco rolled his eyes at him and was actually considering to leave them to talk, when he felt Harry laid his hand on his thigh under the table.

"I want to tell Draco," he said firmly.

"Have you gone completely mental? He's a Malfoy, Harry! I may understand the– this!" Weasley waved his hand awkwardly between Harry and Draco. "But he's a Death Eater, bloody hell!" he shouted at Harry's face while Granger just paled and was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Stop screaming, Ron, I know perf–" Harry started to speak.

"You know nothing!" Weasley interrupted him. "Your brain isn't working when it's about him, don't argue with me! Tell him, 'Mione! Tell him he's bloody mental!"

"No, let _me_ tell you something," Harry said in a cold voice, standing up from the table. "And you will listen and won't interrupt. Do you understand me?"

Weasley and Granger glanced at each other nervously then turned to Harry and both nodded, looking suddenly scared. Though he didn't fully understand what was going on, Draco was scared too, to be honest.

"No interruptions, Ron," Harry said again slowly, his voice sounded much like Severus'.

Weasley just swallowed and said nothing.

"Yes, Draco has the Dark Mark," Harry continued and Draco looked up at his angry face, he felt panicked even more now. "But it doesn't make him a Death Eater, and I don't want to hear these words directed at him ever again."

Draco couldn't suppress a surprised sound coming from his mouth and Harry turned to him. Draco watched with wide eyes how Harry's face changed and warm small smile appeared on his lips.

"It wasn't Draco's wish to take the Mark, he was forced and he had no choice," Harry turned towards his friends again. His voice wasn't that cold anymore. "I will tell you about his role in Dumbledore's death, and it isn't this simple too. Yes, it's Draco's fault that Bellatrix and Greyback and the others could come to Hogwarts, but for him it was that or his and his parents' death. Don't say anything, Ron! I know I don't have parents myself, but I think I too would be able to do everything, even to– to kill someone... if it'd save their lives."

Weasley looked absolutely shocked and Granger had tears in her eyes.

Draco had tears in his eyes too and he couldn't look away from the side of Harry's face. Did he even realize what his words mean to Draco? He wished Harry told them to him directly and without witnesses.

"Also Dumbledore knew he was dying and he planned his own death with Snape. He made Snape promise him that he would be the one who will kill him, not Draco."

"What?" Weasley cried out. If Draco wasn't so shocked, he'd cried out too.

"So I want to tell Draco," Harry repeated himself after a few moments of intense silence.

"Harry, I'm not sure– Wouldn't it be better to actually talk alone about it first?" Granger was looking in Harry's eyes intently.

"I had two, almost three months to know Draco and to learn to trust him. All I ask from you, guys, is to trust my judgment," Harry said quietly and sat back into his chair.

They were sitting in heavy silence for long minutes. Granger and Weasley were frowning and glancing at each other or Harry from time to time. And Harry took Draco's hand in both of his and laid their intertwined hands on top of the table. Draco leaned a little closer to Harry and looked at his hand that was squeezed between Harry's big palms. He couldn't believe what was happening – Harry wanted to tell him his secrets. Did he actually trust him that much? Draco had been dreaming about that for so long...

"Are you two shagging or not after all?"

_Bloody Weasley._

Draco had no idea how Potter was able to tolerate him through all these years, really.

"Ronald!" Granger cried out sounding very scandalized and that was funny.

Draco expected Potter to jump away from him or to drop his hand or something similar, but he just flushed bright red and held Draco's hand a little tighter, if he was afraid that _Draco_ might be the one to jump away.

"It's none of your business, Weasley," Draco drawled, enjoying the expression on the redhead's face. He looked like he was about to be sick any moment now.

Granger was watching them strangely, but then just sighed and stood up from the table.

"I'll make us some more tea," she said walking to the kitchen counter. "It will be very long and not very light conversation."

Draco had absolutely no idea how Harry and Granger were able to talk about such horrific things so coolly and calmly.

He felt dreadful fear slowly enveloping all his insides the more Harry was talking. He felt cold dripping all over his body when Granger was explaining about the dairy and how the first of seven Horcruxes was destroyed by Harry in their second year.

Draco couldn't stop hot tears from falling down his cheeks when Harry told him about the ring and the real reason Dumbledore was dying and about what they did that night before they showed up on the top of the Astronomy Tower. All Draco's body tensed and froze and he wished to disappear when he realized that Harry was there, on that bloody Tower, under his Cloak all along.

But Harry just hugged Draco tightly to himself and kissed Draco's temple whispering in his ear that all this wasn't his fault and that he would do everything in his power to prevent Draco from being in situations like that ever again.

If it wasn't for Weasley's and Granger's presence at the other side of the table, Draco definitely would be weeping into Harry's chest like a small child.

But he managed to take hold of himself and pulled out of Harry's embrace asking him if they destroyed that locket and how.

"That's the thing," Harry answered him, his voice bitter. "That locket was a fake. It isn't a real Horcrux."

"What? But how–" Draco looked at him confused.

"Someone was there before Harry and Professor Dumbledore, someone who found out about Horcruxes too and was able to find this one," Granger said. "Unfortunately there is no proof the real Horcrux had been actually destroyed."

Suddenly Granger's beaded handbag flew into the room right in Harry's outstretched hand. He opened it pointing his wand in its depths and saying "Accio locket".

A moment later the silver locket with an intricate pattern was placed on the table in front of Draco.

The pattern appeared to be some sort of signature that looked vaguely familiar to Draco when he watched more closely. He slowly traced it with the tip of his index finger.

"Open it," surprisingly it was Weasley who said that. Harry and Granger turned their heads sharply to look at him, but he just shrugged one shoulder. "Well, he might know," Weasley added somehow defensively and Harry gave him a smile lifting one corner of his mouth before he turned to Draco and gestured for him to do what he was told.

Draco did, then read the note.

"I looked in nearly every book at Hogwarts' library, but couldn't find even one name that would fit with these initials," Granger said with a desperate sigh.

Draco looked at the letters again. They felt familiar too.

_R. A. B._

He took the locket in his hand again... If he would squint enough he might imagine that there was a capital "B" surrounded by tiny silver snakes. "B" with the snakes around it. He totally had seen something like that, but– Wait! He looked at the note again.

"It's Black," he announced looking at the three Gryffindors who were staring at him in confusion. "The locket is Black family's heirloom, and this your R.A.B. might be some Black as well," he explained and smirked proud of himself.

"Black?" Granger repeated unsure. "But I thought all Blacks were Death Eaters or at least loyal to him."

"Sirius wasn't," Potter said immediately.

Black. R.A.B.

_R._

Draco gasped loudly and jump off his chair almost knocking it off on the floor. "Sirius wasn't," he repeated Harry's words dumbly and quickly walked out of the kitchen.

He heard Harry calling his name and then three pairs of footsteps were following him up the stairs on the second floor and into the first room to the right.

Draco looked at the tapestry on the wall then turned to Harry and his friends. Harry looked like he was thinking hard about something, Granger was already scanning the wall in search for fitting names, and Weasley was just frowning at Draco looking as stupid as always.

"Regulus Arcturus Black," Draco pointed on the golden letters that was next to the burnt spot of Harry's Godfather's name. "R. A. B."

The trio in front of him stared at him with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

"I've always known you're fucking great, Draco," Harry grinned at him while gleefully shaking Weasley by one of his shoulders.

"Calm down, mate," the Weasel muttered. "It might–"

"Harry!" Granger cried out suddenly. "The locket– We– Do you remember? Ron?" she looked like she was on the edge of panic.

"What?" Weasley looked at her worriedly.

"The locket, Ron," Harry cried out too, eyes wide. "You're great too, 'Mione," they were staring at each other, clasping each other's hands.

"The locket– Where– Fuck, did we–"

"I remember– Everyone tried, but– No one could open it–"

"I think we might throw it awa–"

"The locket!" Weasley yelled looking like he was about to go mad. To be honest, all three of them looked like that.

"Yes!" Granger screeched. "Where might it be now?" she asked in her normal voice again, frowning on the floor.

Draco had no idea what was going on, but apparently they knew something about original locket that was Dark Lord's Horcrux, seemed like they even saw it, but didn't know where it was now.

"Thank you," Draco startled a little at the sound of Harry's voice so close to his ear, but quickly relaxed when one of Harry's strong arms circled his waist. "You have no idea how much you helped, Draco."

"You're welcome," Draco smiled and laid his head against Harry's shoulder and his hands on Harry's chest while Harry stroked his hair with his free hand.

Then he kissed him. Harry kissed him. Merlin and Morgana, Harry Potter had just kissed him! Well, on the temple, but it was not the point. The point was that this was still the kiss. Harry laid his lips on Draco's skin. Holy fuck, he almost fainted at this thought.

Then he remembered Harry already did that. Earlier, when Draco was crying at the kitchen.

Draco lifted his head to look up at Harry, who was looking right back at him. Draco wanted to ask what did that mean and did that even mean anything and would Harry like to kiss him again. But he couldn't speak.

And he couldn't look away from Harry's bright green gaze; he tried to read something in these eyes that were looking at him with so many emotions in them. Like Harry was looking at something precious, at something that was important and valuable for him.

Both of Harry's hands were on Draco's waist now and Draco realized that his own hands had moved on Harry's shoulders and were clutching them tightly.

Draco just stared at his beautiful eyes helplessly and wished for so much more.

Harry moved a little closer and Draco's breath hitched–

"Oh, for fuck's sake!"

_Weasley again._

"Can you do all that stuff when I'm not in the same room with you? I have enough nightmares of my own I don't need the images of you two in my head!"

Harry hid his face in Draco's hair and was laughing softly, his hands still around Draco's waist, squeezing tightly.

Draco was sure he was blushing furiously so he didn't even try to glare at the Weasel like he very much wanted to; he just pressed his face into Harry's chest and wished for his friends to disappear, forever if possible.

"Harry, I think you should talk to Kreacher, he might know where the locket is," unfortunately Granger was still here too.

"Yeah, let's go back to the kitchen," Harry said and took Draco's hand to lead him out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and sorry for any mistakes ❤


	4. Chapter four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2020/04/14

** Chapter Four  **

"This all is very charming, but I was taught to eat with the cutlery, not with my hands," Draco drawled, looking at Harry skeptically, who just laughed and grabbed a greasy piece of some kind of muggle strange pie with his bare hands.

"It's really very tasty, Ron," Granger said with a smile, and to Draco's horror did the same thing as Harry – took the piece in her hands, then took a rather impressive bite from it.

Weasley looked a little uncertain but it didn't last too long and soon he was eating the strange pie too, holding the piece in his hands and saying something with his mouth full.

"Draco, aren't you going to try, at least?" Harry asked, turning to him again.

Draco apparently looked disgusted and miserable enough for Harry to take pity of him, and he wandlessly _and_ wordlessly summoned a plate with a fork and a knife from kitchen cabinets for him.

Draco sat on the table next to Harry and glanced at the tree large boxes of that muggle food.

"Which one do you want?" Harry asked. Draco wasn't sure he really wanted it, though the smell was rather delicious. "Margherita has only cheese and tomato sauce, and this one is Pepperoni, and if you want to eat some with chicken and onions then do it now, or Ron will eat the whole pizza by himself."

"Um, what is 'pepperoni'?" the name sounded interesting.

"Kind of sausages, see?" Harry opened the box in front of him. "It has cheese and sauce too. Do you want this one?"

"Yes," Draco still felt uncertain but he smiled at Harry, trying not to look at the direction of the Weasel, who was stuffing his stupid mouth with food with the grace of a Mountain Troll.

Harry smiled back brightly and levitated a piece on Draco's plate with the wave of his hand.

To Draco's surprise it wasn't that bad and he ate the whole piece, as well as two pieces with only cheese on them, and even took a few bites of Harry's piece with onions and chicken.

With all the talks about Dark Lord's Horcruxes and the following talk with Kreacher (that consisted more of Kreacher's hysterical crying than actual talking), the time was somewhere between lunch and dinner and they all were exhausted and pretty hungry.

But Kreacher was sent to search for the thief of the original locket and when Harry said he was going to cook something for them, Granger came up with idea of that muggle ready food.

Harry liked the idea, but Draco was anxious about letting him out of the house even under his Cloak, when Death Eaters were still around. But he couldn't object much after Granger handed Harry a phial of Polyjuice Potion with a hair of some old muggle man, as she said.

Thankfully Harry wasn't gone long enough for Draco to start really panicking, but he was still very worried.

But now Draco was relaxed, sitting back in his chair, drinking pumpkin juice and listening to Harry talking to his friends about what they would be doing if the thief – Fletcher or something like that – had already sold the locket to someone.

When Harry laid his hand on the back on Draco's chair, Draco moved closer to him and leaned against his side. Harry wrapped his arm around his shoulders and Draco felt warm, safe and strangely happy. Sickened expression on Weasley's face only made him feel better and he hid his smirk behind his goblet of pumpkin juice.

"Harry, do you know why I couldn't get into the library this morning?" he heard Granger asked, but Harry just frowned at her confused. "I wanted to look for some books about Horcruxes, I'm sure Blacks must have–"

"Is it why Severus never lets me in?" Draco interrupted her, looking at Harry.

"I suppose–"

"Snape?" Weasley shouted.

"Ron did you listen to me? I told you he's helping me– us! And he knows about Horcruxes too," Harry said tiredly.

"So he already read all the books and found nothing? Or what?" Granger asked.

"Well– He, er... He's actually looking for a little different information," Harry answered awkwardly. "But I think you might find something useful in all these books he has been selecting for me to read later."

"Books about Horcruxes? But what information he can possibly look for if not how to destroy them? Harry?"

"He has an order from Dumbledore," Harry's hand tightened on Draco's shoulder. "Sorry, I can't tell you, 'Mione."

"He's not– he–" Weasley was trying to say something. "You know– He is not creating one?"

"What the hell, Ron? Of course not!"

"How can you be sure, mate?"

"Because I fucking know what he's looking for!" Harry shouted, then stood up abruptly and started cleaning the table.

Granger started helping him while Weasley was still glaring at both of them from under his stupid red fringe. His glare turned to Draco when Harry and Granger walked to the kitchen counter, talking quietly.

"I'm going to my lab," Draco said loudly before Weasley had a chance to open his mouth.

Harry turned to him and nodded smiling, while Granger continued whispering furiously to him.

Draco walked to the far wall of the kitchen where was a door leading to the small dark hall with a few rooms – one of which was his potions lab – and a staircase to the cellars.

Draco checked an Essence of Dittany he was trying to brew without Severus' help and was pleased to know that so far all the processes were correct. He closed the cauldron – potion still needed two more days to steep – and started to prepare ingredients for the new brewing of Blood-Replenishing Potion. He was waiting for the water to boil, when he heard Harry's voice calling his name.

"In here!" Draco called back.

Two seconds later Harry's head with that adorably messy hair appeared in a doorway. He grinned widely and stepped into the room looking around curiously.

"It's... really nice here," he said and Draco smiled looking at him. "You cleaned this all up by yourself?"

"Well, actually Kreacher helped a lot, and even Severus helped to arrange some of the equipment. Most of it is really ancient."

"I suppose," Harry snorted still looking around. "I don't really know when exactly Walburga died but I think this house was uninhabited for about ten years. You should've seen the state it was in, when– Er, two years ago."

Draco returned to his work while Harry was talking and was glad for it, he really didn't know what he could answer to that. He thought what was going on this time two years ago and it made him feel sad a little. Two years ago Harry's Godfather was alive, Dumbledore was alive, Draco's own father had never been in Azkaban and Draco himself didn't have a Dark Mark on his left forearm.

"Do you want some help?" Harry asked unexpectedly.

"From you?" Draco laughed and Harry rolled his eyes. "I remember your Potions grades very well, Potter."

"Have been keeping tabs on my grades, Malfoy?" Harry leaned his hip on Draco's worktable, smirking.

Draco did a mistake looking up at him from his work, because he immediately blushed like a complete idiot he was, and Harry's smirk became playful and very beautiful smile.

"Don't worry, I've been keeping tabs on yours too," Harry winked.

Draco wasn't sure what he felt when Harry was like this. Did he flirt with Draco? Or was he making fun of him? Playing with him? He probably realized how Draco felt about him and was just entertaining himself. It seemed more likely than if Harry was really interested in him in some romantic way, didn't it?

But it was easy reassuring himself like that while Harry wasn't around. Because with his incredibly green eyes, sweet and warm smiles, gentle touches and that fond look on his face it was too hard believing Harry wasn't sincere enough or was playing with Draco's feelings.

"Kreacher was working on a new room for you before we sent him to search for Fletcher," Harry said a little later.

"New room for me?" Draco looked up at him confused.

Harry seated himself on the bench at the opposite side of Draco's worktable and was watching Draco's hands while he was cutting Horklump's roots.

"Well, I will be sleeping in Sirius' old room, and I thought–" Harry cleared his throat, still watching Draco's hands. "Do you like the room you've been sleeping in? I actually didn't think you might have used to it, it's just– There are two beds in there, you know, just for Ron and Hermione. I know she's not comfortable sleeping in the same bed with him, but she also wouldn't want to sleep absolutely alone, so– Well, I asked Kreacher to make Regulus' old room for you." He finally lifted his eyes to Draco's. "It's across the hall from mine, I mean Sirius' old room."

"Sometimes you talk too much, Potter," Draco said smirking at him. "And I'm okay with the new room."

Harry smiled at him warmly and widely, said nothing and continued watching him working on the potion.

They spent about two hours in the lab. Harry was asking thousands questions about every Draco's move and kept making attempts to help him, so Draco had to ask him to do some small tasks, like bringing him something or cutting or grinding some ingredients for him, and surprisingly they made a very good team together and finished the potion earlier than Draco was expecting.

When they returned to the kitchen, Granger and Weasley were still there. Granger was deep into the book she was reading and Weasley merely glanced at them never stopping chewing his sandwich.

They went to Draco's – now old – room and Harry helped him to gather his things and move them into the new one.

Though he didn't say anything to Harry, Draco didn't like Regulus' old room from the very first sight. It was large and green and Slytherin from floor to ceiling. It wasn't a bad thing. But it was too much like Draco's bedroom back at the Manor, and it immediately made him feel sick and he remembered a lot of things he wanted to forget.

"Do you like it?" Harry asked him with a smile.

Draco swallowed and nodded. He didn't know why he couldn't say Harry about the way he felt here. Merlin, and he was supposed to sleep in here too...

"Hey, are you okay?" Harry put both his arms around him.

Draco nodded again and buried his face in Harry's warm and firm chest.

Draco was sure it was something unnatural, the way Harry's scent, his arms around him, his voice, his mere presence were able to soothe him, to make him feel safe and warm inside.

"It's half past six already," Harry murmured quietly in Draco's hair. "I think I should cook something for us to eat for dinner, I'm not sure Kreacher will be back today."

Draco didn't say anything, just clutched the front of Harry's t-shirt tighter, he didn't want Harry to go and to leave him here alone.

When did he become that weak? No, it was the wrong question; he always had been weak, wasn't he? When did he stop hiding it from people, from Harry? Oh hell, he cried in front of Granger and Weasel earlier today! What next?

"Draco, are you really okay?" Harry was stroking his hair with one of his hands, the other around Draco's waist.

"I don't know," Draco said into Harry's chest.

"You can talk to me, you know?" Harry was trying to lift his face to look at him. "Did you think about your dorms at Hogwarts when you saw the room? Are you thinking about your friends?"

"You know very well that I don't have any friends, Potter," Draco snapped at him absolutely unnecessary.

"Well, Parkinson at least. She still doesn't know where you are and if you're even alive."

"What?" Draco stared up at him with wide eyes. He didn't really think about it this way.

"It's just rumors about you. No one knows anything, except us and Snape of course, but he's a perfect Occlument and Ron, Hermione and I don't interact with anyone."

"So how do you know about these rumors then?"

"Through my connection with Riddle. He can feel that you're not dead due to your Mark, of course, but it's not like he really discusses it with someone, so..."

"I wish I could let Pansy know that I'm fine," Draco said quietly. "Do you know something about her?" he looked up at Harry who awkwardly looked away from him and then took a step back.

"Not much," he answered still not looking at Draco.

It was obvious that he was lying. But what it might be about Pansy that Harry didn't want to tell him? Well, he already told Draco that she was the first – after his father – who was questioned by the Dark Lord about Draco's disappearance, because of Draco's unfinished letter to her that he left on his desk in his room at the Manor. Also there must had been a lot of tortures Harry wasn't telling him about, but Draco knew the Dark Lord well enough.

He was sure there was something else, and he hoped it wasn't that serious and Pansy wasn't in a danger bigger than they all already had been.

"Do you want to come downstairs with me?" Harry asked him taking his hand.

Draco nodded and followed him out of the room.

Weasley and Granger were still there, but once again gave him and Harry no attention, bickering about something Draco didn't care enough to listen.

So he walked with Harry to the kitchen counter and was watching him while he was cooking. The situation was the opposite from the one in Draco's lab, and now Draco understand the urge to help even when you had no idea how.

Harry was telling him about glimpses of the Dark Lord's thoughts he was able to see when he was trapped in his mind.

He told Draco about his father, that the Dark Lord was sure in his loyalty and was pleased to know that Draco's father had disowned him. That was news for Draco, but he was almost certain that he still could feel Malfoy's magic inside of himself. Harry thought that Draco's father didn't really disown him. Maybe just burned his name from the family tree, but didn't do an actual ritual.

Apparently it was the thing in the Black family, as Harry told him. Not Sirius, not Andromeda (Draco's aunt, he guessed) were entirely cut off from the family recourses, except of money. All the Blacks Harry had known were very tempered and slightly (or not so slightly) insane and he supposed all that thing with burning names from the tapestry was mostly on impulse and just for show, but rarely got that far as cutting someone off the family for real.

If Sirius Black was truly disowned, he wouldn't be able to make Harry his Heir. Formally, Harry was Lord Black now, though he couldn't feel and control Blacks' magic as good as Potters'. Someone who was disowned couldn't transfer the title and the powers to someone who even wasn't Black by blood. And if Andromeda Black, now Tonks, was truly disowned, Harry wouldn't be able to feel her or her daughter's magic in the ritual room.

"Did you feel my mother and me then?" Draco asked when Harry was explaining him all this.

"Of course," he smiled to him, but then his face became hard and stony. "That bitch too. She's fucking wild."

_Oh, aunt Bella._

Draco looked away from pieces of beef that were currently stewing on the stove, and watched Harry who was mashing potatoes in the large bowl perhaps too violently.

"You think my father knows? About Blacks?" Draco asked him when he calmed down a little.

"Maybe he knows, or maybe he just thought of it himself. Anyway, Riddle has a little idea about things like that, so the burning was pretty enough for him," Harry came to him to check on the beef. "Your father cares for you, Draco, but he knows how to act to save his own skin too."

Draco nodded and blinked a few times trying to stop his stupid tears. Harry put one of his hands around Draco's waist and drew him closer, kissing his hair just above his ear. Draco closed his eyes.

"But even if he'd ever do that for real, you can always be a Black, you know," he said and Draco felt him smiling against his hair.

"Would you two stop snogging? I'm starving here!" Weasley said loudly enough for Granger to look up from two books in front of her.

"Ron! You've been literally just eating during the last five hours!" she exclaimed rolling her eyes at him.

"But the smell is so good, I can't help it, 'Mione."

"Oh, honestly, Ron–"

Draco stopped listening and looked back at Harry who was already watching him with that beautiful smile on his handsome face.

Draco's breath hitched when Harry lifted a hand to his face and gently brushed his thumb over Draco's lower lip.

"I really do want to kiss you," he said quietly, staring at Draco's lips.

All Draco could do was to stand there with impossibly wide eyes, panicking and trying not to faint. Harry's face was full of desire, and the moment their eyes locked, Draco forgot how to breathe.

But suddenly Harry pulled away.

"Oh– I– I'm sorry, Draco," he said watching Draco's face carefully. "I'm sorry," he repeated and walk to the pantry, closing the door behind himself.

Draco was still standing on the spot like he was frozen, feeling idiotic and not understanding what had just happened.

Harry's face changed in a second. Why? Draco was sure Harry really wanted to kiss him.

He felt so many things right now; he didn't know how he managed not to explode.

And Draco was so fucking scared that he wouldn't be good in it, wouldn't be good enough for Harry and–

 _He was scared_. Yes, he wanted that kiss more than anything, but he was also so fucking scared. Did Harry see that panic in his eyes? Did he think it was because Draco didn't want to kiss him, didn't want to be kissed? Well, fuck.

Why was Draco so stupid? Why did he always ruin everything? Would Harry ever want and try to kiss him again? Hell, what if he stopped even touching Draco the way he did? Draco had never had anything like this before and he wasn't ready to lose it because of his stupid cowardice.

He wanted to cry.

He didn't notice when Harry was back from the pantry, he only looked up when he heard the sound of knives cutting something. Harry was making some salad with cabbage and wasn't looking at Draco's direction.

Draco didn't give himself any time to think, he just acted. He walked to Harry and hugged him from behind, putting his arms around Harry's middle and pressing his cheek between his shoulder blades.

Harry stilled for a moment but then relaxed. He put his own hand over both of Draco's and said something so softly, Draco didn't really catch it. But he was too overwhelmed with his feelings at that moment to ask Harry to repeat himself.

"Oi! Get a room already, you two!" Weasley shouted and Harry laughed. "But give me my food first," he added and Harry laughed louder.

"Go sit on the table, Draco," Harry said squeezing Draco's hands.

Draco went to sit in front of Weasley who glanced at him with annoyance, muttering something about disgusting behavior and suffering from it.

"Ron, stop it already," Granger said with a sigh and stood up to help Harry setting the table.

When Harry finally seated himself on the chair beside Draco's, he winked at him playfully before he started eating, and Draco thought maybe they still were okay and Draco didn't ruin everything between them completely.

But he was wrong.

Harry didn't touch him even once during their meal. He talked with his friends about some special cup or something like that. Draco wasn't really listening; he was busy trying to ignore his idiotic panic. Draco wanted to run somewhere and cry. But even more he wanted Harry's arms around his body. " _Pathetic, darling,_ " he heard the voice inside of his head sounding much like Pansy's.

"Draco," Harry was looking at him with concern. "Why are you not eating? You don't like it? Eat at least mashed potatoes, okay?" he laid his hand on Draco's thigh and was rubbing it with his thumb.

"Okay," was all Draco could say and in ten minutes he ate everything that was on his plate and wasn't even complaining about salad with cabbage that he didn't like much.

Harry's hand was on his thigh all the time.

After dinner Draco spent about two hours in his lab again. Harry didn't come to join him this time, and not that Draco was expecting him to, but he still was a little disappointed by the fact.

The next step in his usual routine would be reading some book in his bed before sleep, but he didn't want to go to that room, the old room of Regulus Black that for some weird reasons reminded him so much of his own, back at the Manor.

But the kitchen was empty and it was past ten already, so it seemed like Draco didn't have a lot of choice where to go and what to do.

He walked up the stairs and paused on the second floor on the sound of the voices from the dawning room, but it was unlikely that Gryffindors might want him to be there with them, even though he knew all their secrets now. Of course it was unlikely too, that they actually had told him _all their secrets_ , but still...

"Stop calling him bloody 'Draco', for fuck's sake!" Draco startled at the shouting in Weasel's voice. "Do you even realize how fucking creepy you're sounding?"

"Am I sounding creepy when I call you 'Ron'?" Harry answered him in annoyed voice. "If you prefer 'Weasley', all you need is just to say that." That made Draco smirk.

"Bloody hell, you're even talking like him now!" Weasley yelled while Draco's smirk grew wider.

"Don't see any problem here."

"Tell him, 'Mione! Maybe he'll believe you at least!"

"Leave me out of this, Ronald," Granger's voice was annoyed too and Draco wondered if they were listening Weasley's hysterics all the time he was busy with his potions.

"Anyway, where is the git right now?"

"If you're talking about Draco, he's in his lab I think. He's been brewing a lot for us, Ron, you should be grate–"

"Don't! Don't even fucking say that, Harry!" Weasley interrupted. "And nothing in this house is bloody 'his'."

"It is, if he wants it to be."

Even Weasley felt silent after these words. And Draco stood frozen on the staircase, his heart beating madly somewhere in his throat. _It is, if he wants it to be..._

Just how in hell did he deserve someone like Harry in his life?

"Draco?" Harry stood in front of him, frowning.

When did he come and why Draco didn't notice? Was he asking him something? Why Draco didn't hear?

"Are you alright?" Harry moved closer, putting his hands on Draco’s shoulders.

But Draco clutched his hands in the front of Harry's t-shirt, tugging him closer to himself. It was just two bloody fucking hours without him and Draco already missed Harry's touches so badly, he almost whimpered with relief when he pressed his face into Harry's neck and inhaled deeply.

"Draco, you're shivering," Harry whispered in his ear and Draco shivered even more. "Are you alright?" he asked again, his hands stroking Draco’s back.

"I'm fine."

Harry leaned back a little and took Draco's face in his hands, watching him closely. He gently brushed Draco's hair back and Draco smiled at him.

"Do you have any idea," Harry whispered, leaning closer, "how incredibly beau–"

"Bloody hell, mate!" Harry jumped at the sound of fucking Weasel's voice. "Not in the bloody hall!"

"Ron, honestly," it was Granger's muttering. "Leave them alone," she added and there was sound of receding footsteps.

But Draco was looking only at Harry, who looked a little shy with slightly flushed cheeks and sheepish smile. He moved his gaze on Draco again and his smile became warm and gentle. He caressed down Draco's cheek with his fingertips slowly.

"Harry," Draco breathed Harry's name and closed his eyes. He felt Harry's hand in his hair again, and decided not to think about the words he was going to say next. "Do you– Do you still want to– to kiss me?"

Harry's thumb brushed his lower lip.

"Open your eyes."

Harry's voice was so close, Draco could feel the heat of his breath on his own lips, and the sensation was making him feel hundreds of little shivers that were running along his whole body. Draco's eyes flew open immediately.

"You have no idea how much," Harry whispered passionately and drew Draco even closer and then his lips were on Draco's.

Harry's lips were on Draco's and Draco forgot about everything else. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, he couldn't remember his own name if somebody would ask.

All he knew was Harry. Harry's warm and gentle lips, tenderly caressing Draco's own for long sweet torturous minutes. Harry's hot tongue sliding along Draco's lower lip. Harry's whisper "Open your mouth, Draco". Then the feel of Harry's tongue against his.

And Harry's hands, these perfect, big, strong and gentle hands. The one was in Draco's hair holding Draco's head in place, and the other was everywhere – gripping Draco's hip, squeezing Draco's waist, sliding up and down the side of Draco's ribs, holding the side of Draco's neck, cupping Draco's cheek.

All Draco's body was on fire and he was really surprised he hadn't passed out from all the sensations. And he was sure he'd fall if it wasn't for Harry's arms around him and Draco's own hands around Harry's neck.

Draco became aware of the whimpering sounds somewhere at the distance, but a little later he realized they were coming from him. He tried to stop them but panicked when he couldn't and almost started to asphyxiate.

"Draco," Draco almost cried out in disappointment when Harry stopped the kiss to look at him. "Draco, is something wrong?"

But Draco couldn't speak, so he just held Harry as close to himself as he could and tried to stop crying (he couldn't even remember when he began).

"It's alright, Draco, everything is alright," Harry was murmuring in his ear while stroking his back. "Breath, baby, just in and out, it's alright, breathe with me, please, I'm here, I'm with you, I want you to breath, Draco, please."

Draco laid his head against Harry's shoulder and tried to calm down as best as he could.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled weakly.

"Was it that bad?" Harry smiled at him sadly.

"No!" Draco almost shouted. "It was so perfect," he added quietly and hid his face in Harry's neck. "I'm sorry I ruined everything."

"You ruined nothing, Draco," Harry's breath was on Draco's neck and the next second Draco felt Harry's wonderful warm lips on his skin again.

He closed his eyes and moaned out loud. The sound startled Draco, but Harry just continued to kiss and lick his neck, he nuzzled his nose behind Draco's ear and murmured:

"I've wanted to do this for ages, you have no idea..." he nibbled on Draco's earlobe and Draco shuddered with all his body and moaned again, but then pressed his mouth to Harry's shoulder to keep himself silent. "Don't hold back, baby, I want to hear you," Harry whispered in his ear. "You sound amazing."

Then Draco was pushed against the wall and Harry's mouth was on his again, Harry's hands were everywhere, and Draco was certain he was on heaven.

Draco ran his hands through Harry's messy hair and tried to mimic the movements of Harry's tongue with his own. He was more aware of this kiss than of the previous one when he just stood in place and tried not to fall, so now he wanted Harry to feel at least half as good as Harry was making him feel.

"Oh, fuck! Fuck! Hermione!"

Draco jumped and tried to pull away from Harry when he heard Weasley, but Harry was still pressing him to the wall and holding him by the hips.

"My eyes, my eyes! Hermione! Help me, I think got blind! They're doing it right in the middle of the hall!"

"You're absolutely incredible," Harry whispered in Draco's ear and Draco was barely able to suppress a whimper. "Shut the fuck up, Ron," Harry said cheerfully to stupidly gaping Weasley, and took Draco's hand leading him down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Draco didn't know how long they were kissing against the kitchen door, but it was long enough for him to became brave enough to slide his hands under Harry's t-shirt and carefully stroke the hot bare skin of his muscular back. It made Harry make a beautiful noise, something between moan and growl that came straight to Draco's already hard cock.

Harry's cock was hard too, Draco could feel its heat pressing against the lower part of his stomach, but he didn't know what he supposed to do, and to be honest, he was a little afraid of doing something with _it_...

Eventually Harry pulled away from him and leaned his forehead on the kitchen door near Draco's head, breathing heavily.

"I'm going to lose all of my control if we won't stop right now," he said. "You're so fucking hot, Malfoy," he growled in Draco's ear, nuzzling his nose in Draco's hair and squeezing Draco's hips.

Soft helpless whimper was all Draco managed to produce in return.

Harry kissed the tip of his nose and pulled away grinning. "Do you want some tea?" he asked.

"Yes, please," Draco whispered, smiling back.

The following night was the best night in Draco's live.

They spend it at the kitchen, because Harry was waiting for Kreacher and news about Fletcher and the locket, and Draco simply didn't want to spend the night alone in Regulus' room.

Harry dragged one of the small sofas from the dawning room to the kitchen, and after a dozen of _Scourgifys_ it was quite acceptable to sit on. They spent a good part of the night on that sofa, kissing, cuddling, drinking tea, talking about Quidditch and kissing again.

The kissing was perfect. Draco had never thought he would enjoy someone's tongue in his mouth so much, but it was havens, really. Of course the fact that it was _Harry's_ tongue in Draco's mouth and _Harry's_ hands all over Draco's body was decisive.

And Harry was just perfect himself, much more perfect than Draco had ever imagined him to be, and he had imagined a lot. He just never really believed he would have a chance to know what it's like to be with Harry that close.

Now when he knew it he wanted it to last as long as possible and he still couldn't fully realize that all of this was really happening to him.

It was past 4 in the morning now and Harry was snoring softly on the sofa, his head on the armrest and one of his feet on the floor. Draco was lying between his parted legs with his arms around Harry's torso and his cheek pressed to Harry's chest. He was watching the fire in the large kitchen fireplace, that they lit with Harry earlier in the beginning of the night, and wondering if it all was just a dream and in the morning he would wake up in his bed alone.

He took a deep breath, inhaling Harry's strong scent, and pressed his face to the material of Harry's t-shirt. Even if it was just for now, it was absolutely perfect.

~

The next two days were uneventful, but full of breathtaking snogging sessions and cuddling on the sofa at the night in front of the fireplace.

Harry was also expected Severus to show up and was getting nervous (though he was trying to hide it) about the fact he still didn't come with the mysterious news he had promised to him.

These two days Draco saw Weasley and Granger only during meals and was very happy about it. He suspected Harry was spending time with them while Draco was working in the lab with his potions, but mostly, if Harry wasn't with Draco, he was spending time alone in the library.

It was the third night of waiting for Kreacher and they were sitting on the sofa in front of the kitchen's fireplace in silence and with mugs of peppermint tea floating nearby.

Well, Harry was sitting. Draco was lying on his back with his feet on the armrest and his head on Harry's thigh, one of Harry's hands was slowly stroking Draco's hair while he himself was staring at the fire almost unblinkingly.

Draco sighed and looked at the fire too. Harry was in a really foul mood today and Draco already received his fair share of angry glares when he was trying to ask him about this.

Harry even snapped at Granger rather rudely during dinner, when she was pestering him about why Severus Snape had a right to know something special and she hadn't. The three of them had a fight after that and Harry went to the library for almost four hours.

But now he was here with Draco and Draco was glad about that, though he felt rather irritated himself. He wanted to help Harry so much, but had absolutely no idea how.

"What's this one about?" Harry asked suddenly and Draco looked up at him. Harry was watching the cover of the book that was laying open over Draco's chest.

"It's about poisonous herbs and flowers," Draco answered, picking the book up and closing it to show the cover to Harry.

Harry took the book from him and looked through it briefly then laid it away and turned to Draco again.

"I'm sorry I was such a shit today," he said caressing Draco's face lightly. Draco just smiled at him and Harry closed his eyes sighing heavily.

Draco sat up slowly and arranged himself on Harry's lap comfortably before wrapping his hands around Harry's neck and laying his head on one of his own arms. He kissed Harry's neck and felt him smile against his hair.

"Don't get angry again, but I wish you could tell me about this thing that driving you that mad," Draco said quietly. "I know you can't. I just want to be able to help you, want to be useful somehow."

"You are, Draco," Harry kissed his temple. "You helped us with the locket, remember? And now you're here with me. It makes me feel not too useless myself."

"You're as far away from useless as it can be possible, Harry."

"Ron doesn't agree with you here," Harry snorted sadly.

Draco didn't say anything to that, he was in no mood to explain Weasley's idiotic behavior to Harry.

Instead he shifted a little on Harry's lap and started kissing his neck and jaw. Harry's head fell back on the sofa and his hands squeezed Draco's hips, pulling him closer and urging him to straddle his lap. Draco obeyed happily, and moaned loudly when Harry tugged at his hair pulling his head to the side and sucking the skin of his neck into his mouth.

Oh, how fucking much Draco loved this perfect mouth, especially when it was on him.

And these hands. Harry's hands. They were perfect too, and they were squeezing Draco's ass rather hard right now. It wasn't the first time Harry had touched him there, but this time it felt so demanding and so hot, it made Draco fully hard in mere seconds and he wasn't able to control his urge to thrust down into Harry's lap.

Harry stilled for a moment.

"Are you sure, baby?" he asked, pulling back and looking into Draco's eyes.

They hadn't actually done something more than just snogging. Draco was afraid of the next move and Harry wasn't pushing him, but today Draco was feeling suddenly bold.

"Have you ever been with someone like this?" Draco knew he was blushing deeply, but he tried to ignore it.

"Yeah, I have," Harry was kissing behind his ear. "You?"

"N-no– not really," Draco mumbled.

"Seriously?" Harry pulled away again to stare at him with clear surprise in his beautiful green eyes. "Seriously? I– But you're so fucking gorgeous, Draco! You– you're– Really?"

Draco smirked at Harry's frustrated confusion and leaned in to kiss his jaw.

"I've never done anything with anyone before you," he whispered, hiding his face in Harry's neck. "Not even– no cuddling, no actual touching, no kisses of course, and obviously nothing more..."

"You are so perfect," Harry whispered back and slide his hands up and down Draco's back. "And you're all mine," he growled into his ear making all Draco's body shiver violently.

" _Harry_ ," Draco whimpered Harry's name because it was all he could manage to say when Harry's mouth and Harry's hands were on him.

"Do you want to try something?" Harry asked and Draco nodded. "It'll be so good, baby, trust me," Harry added and kissed him roughly on the lips.

After some moments of intent snogging Draco realized he was lying on his back on the sofa with Harry on top of him, who was resting his weight on his elbows, which were on each side of Draco's head. It was really hard for Draco to think because Harry's mouth was doing incredibly perfect things to Draco's neck, so Draco had to tug on Harry's hair to look at him.

They stayed like this a little, just staring at each other, and then Harry did something that left Draco's mind completely blank: he suddenly ground his hips down to Draco's, bringing their hard cocks together. Draco cried out loudly and felt his eyes rolling back in his head.

Harry did it again, harder this time, and Draco shut his eyes and felt his hands tighten in Harry's hair. When Harry did it the next time, Draco tried to cry out again, but Harry's lips were on his, and his moan of pure pleasure was swallowed by Harry's perfect mouth.

The kiss was so messy, so hot and so dirty, Draco was sure he would come right in his pants even if Harry wasn't rutting against him panting like some wild perfect beast.

Draco didn't want just to lay here and he started to raise his own hips to meet Harry's, but he was too far gone to be capable of finding the right rhythm. But then one of Harry's hands suddenly appeared on Draco's ass and started helping him to match his thrusts with Harry's.

And fuck, all of this was so good, so perfect, Draco had never thought that something like this could bring so much pleasure. He was so close already, but he wanted it to last as long as possible, and he didn't want to come that much earlier than Harry.

But was it that good for Harry too? What if he didn't even want to come yet?

"Stop overthinking, baby," Harry whispered against his lips hoarsely. "Do you like it?"

Draco wanted to say that he liked it too fucking much and that he wanted so much more with Harry, but all that left his mouth was a long and load moan.

"Fucking hell, Draco," Harry's hand squeezed Draco's ass so hard it hurt, but then it moved to his hipbone. "You're so fucking hot, baby," Harry's breath on Draco's lips was fucking hot too and his voice was so rough and sexy.

And then, without any warning, Harry's hand cupped Draco's cock through his trousers, and after a moment of irrational fear and a couple of strokes, Draco was coming in his pants.

Draco was coming in his pants, lying on the old sofa at the old Black's house, with Harry Potter's lips on his neck and Harry Potter's hand on his cock. He heard himself moaning and trying to say something, but he didn't really remember what he wanted to say and if he actually managed to say it.

He was vaguely aware of Harry rutting against his hip, kissing his face and whispering something in his ear.

When Draco finally opened his eyes he was greeted with the sight of smugly grinning Potter, who was still hovering above him.

"Was it good?" he asked Draco, suddenly looking a little uncertain and not so smug.

"You're such an idiot, Potter," Draco rolled his eyes and reached up to kiss his stupid face.

"I thought I would come just from your moans, Draco. You were sounding so bloody sexy."

"Shut up," Draco hid his face in Harry's neck. "Was it as good for you as it was for me?" he asked.

"Who is the idiot now?" Harry chuckled, then abruptly turned them both over so now he was laying on his back with Draco on top of him. "It was totally better than all the proper sex I've ever had," Harry kissed Draco's lips and squeezed Draco's ass with both his hands. "You're just driving me absolutely mad, being so fucking sexy and all."

Draco blushed furiously and pressed his face to Harry's shoulder in embarrassment and tried not to think about the fact that Harry had a _'proper sex'_ with someone. He decided to concentrate on Harry's other words instead. Did Harry really think about him as hot and sexy and being worth his time?

"Let's sleep, baby," Harry murmured closing his eyes.

Draco closed his eyes too, shifting a little lower and making himself comfortable on Harry's chest. He felt Harry laid one of his hands on his arm and the other started lazily stroking his hair.

Draco was so overwhelmed with his feelings and emotions, he was able to finally fall asleep much later after Harry's hand in his hair stilled and Harry's snores filled the room.

~

Kreacher appeared in the late morning after that fantastic night when nobody was really waiting for him to.

Draco heard the noise from the kitchen while he was reading in the dawning room, but when he finally decided to check what was going on, there was only angrily pacing Granger in here.

"It was Kreacher," she said to him and sat on the table.

"Where is he?"

"Well, he couldn't bring Fletcher in here, could he?" she snapped at him like it was Draco's fault. "These stupid idiots just went with this elf God knows where and didn't even let me to say something about this! I don't understand how Harry can trust him just like this! Kreacher lied to him once already and it ended with Sirius' death!" she stood up and started pacing again.

"Don't even think to say something like this in front of Harry, Granger," Draco hissed at her.

She stopped abruptly and stared at him.

"What–"

"There is no need to remind him of Black now, don't you think?"

She stared at him some more and then fell on the chair again, leaning back with an annoyed groan and tossing the mass of her curly brown locks over her shoulders.

Draco leaned on the wall near the door, trying to calm himself and not to dive into panic in front of Granger of all people.

"Do you know where are they?" he asked after a few minutes.

"No," Granger snapped and glanced at him with irritation.

Draco signed and looked away from her, hoping that her worries were really unnecessary and that Harry was okay. Kreacher wouldn't do something that might be dangerous for his Master, would he? And Harry wasn’t that stupid; he definitely thought about the risks, right?

Well, to be honest, there were some serious reasons for Granger's worries. Harry was reckless, and he had a tendency to rush into something without thinking. And it was a little hurt that Harry didn't even say something to Draco, just disappear without any warning, like he didn't really care–

Draco's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of the front door opening then closing quietly. He froze and turned to look at Granger, but she already was out of the kitchen, running up the stairs and yelling:

"Harry James Potter, if you'll ever again dare to leave me behind like this, I swear, I–"

And then there was silence.

It wasn't Harry? But who? And what did they do to Granger? Did they do something to Harry as well?

Did they know about Draco being in this house? Did they come for him? Fuck. No, Kreacher wouldn't betray him, would he? Draco was half-Black and the elf was absolutely in love with Blacks. Still…

"I assume Mister Potter is not in here right now," Draco heard the words and nearly collapsed with relief of the sound of Severus' voice. "Is Draco with him?"

Draco didn't hear Granger saying something, but he heard the footsteps in the hall and on the stairs and soon Severus was standing in front of him, frowning.

"Are _you_ , at least, capable of telling me where that damn boy is?" he asked.

"He and Weasley went with Kreacher," Draco answered. "Apparently, this elf had found a thief of that locket-Horcrux."

"What?" Severus stared at him strangely then scowled. "What in the name of Merlin did you do to convince Potter to tell you about Horcruxes, Draco?"

"I didn't do anything!" Draco cried out, offended. "It was he who wanted to tell me! And it was he who _convinced_ his friends to let him do it. He trusts me, Severus."

Severus didn't answer, just was still standing in front of Draco and looking at him very intently. It was really uncomfortable, so Draco looked away and decided to go to the kitchen counter to make two cups of tea for them.

Granger came in and seated herself at the far end of the long wooden table. She didn't say anything and then started tapping on the table with her fingers nervously.

Draco considered for a moment making her a cup of tea too, but quickly dismissed the thought.

"What were you talking about earlier, Draco?" Severus asked when they were both sitting at the table, mugs of steaming tea in front of them. "The thief of the Horcrux? What in the name of Merlin is going on?"

Draco told him about the locket, the note in it, but Severus knew that already. So Draco told him how he guessed about Regulus, trying (but most possibly failing) not to be so smug about the fact that he was able to help where Severus wasn't. But his Godfather was too shocked by the Kreacher's story about Regulus' death to pay attention to anything else.

They sat in silence for a few long minutes after that, Draco was sipping his tea quietly, Severus was just glaring at the wall, and Granger was shifting and huffing in her chair from time to time.

Finally, they heard a loud crack and Draco was on his feet even before Harry fully appeared in the middle of the kitchen with angrily complaining Weasley and grumbling Kreacher between them.

He wanted to come to Harry, but suddenly was pushed away by rushing Granger, who threw herself on smiling Harry and shocked Weasley, with each hand around each boy's neck, bubbling something about them being idiots but her loving them both anyway.

Draco felt himself idiotically left out and stepped away awkwardly, but was stopped with Harry's hand around his wrist.

Harry removed himself from Granger and moved closer to Draco, cupping Draco's face with his free hand.

"You're okay, baby?" he asked, brushing his thumb over Draco's cheekbone.

"Seriously, Harry? Am I okay?" Draco answered trying to ignore the bickering between Granger and Weasley next to them. "You were the one who went to the hell knows where and didn't even bother to tell me anything! It might be dangerous! Did you think even a little before–" Draco stopped talking abruptly when he realized that he sounded a lot like Granger.

Considering the way Harry and Weasley glanced at each other over his and Granger's heads, they realized it too.

Draco blushed and looked away with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, baby, but– Uh, I don't know, Draco," Harry put both of his hands around Draco's waist and pressed his face to Draco's hair, inhaling deeply. "I'm sorry."

"I was so worried," Draco muttered in Harry's chest.

Harry lifted Draco's face with two fingers under Draco's chin and kissed him gently in the lips.

It was the first time Harry had kissed – _snogged!_ – him in front of his friends. Did it mean their relationship was serious? Was there even any relationship between them?

Draco tensed a little at first, but then he quickly forgot all of his thoughts and melted into Harry's firm and already so familiar body. He signed with relief and wrapped his arms around Harry's neck, kissing him back.

As he often did it, Harry lifted him a little from the floor with an arm around his waist and Draco laughed into his neck and– froze.

Severus was staring at them. Not just staring, but nearly gawking at them with wide eyes and unnervingly weird expression on his face. Just how in hell had Draco forgotten about his Godfather being here?

"Harry," Draco tried to push on his shoulders and to stop Harry, who was now kissing his neck. But the stupid idiot just held him tighter and only turned around – with Draco still in his arms – when Weasley punched him in the arm.

Draco scowled on Weasel's stupid smirk, when Harry put him on the ground and sprinted towards still stunned Severus.

"Fucking finally! The– it's still fucking here, Snape!" Harry shouted. "I still can see– I saw– Fuck! Did you fucking have to give me a fucking hope?"

"Do calm yourself, Potter, I–"

"What is this? Harry, what are you talking about?" if they thought Draco was going to just stay away and watch from the distance beside confused Weasley and Granger, they were very wrong.

"Draco–" Harry began in the kind of voice that was about to tell him to fuck off very gently.

"No, Harry, I should know! I want to know whatever it is if it's about your idiotic life, and I know it's about it!" Draco shouted, battling away Harry's hand when he wanted to cup Draco's face.

Draco was breathing heavily and looking between Harry and Severus with challenge and determination in his gaze.

One of Severus' brows was lifted in amusement of this situation, and when their eyes met, he even smirked a little to Draco.

Harry, on the other hand, was not amused at all. There was such a guilty expression on his so handsome face that Draco started to feel guilty himself. And when Harry sat down on the chair looking so tired and somehow defeated, Draco came to him to stroke his hair.

Harry relaxed quickly under Draco's touch and when he looked up at him – eyes so sad and full of pain – Draco wasn't able to resist the urge to lean down to kiss him on his beautiful lips. Harry immediately put his hands on Draco’s hips and tugged him to himself, managing to seat him across his lap.

"Stop it right now, Potter," Draco heard Severus' growl. "I didn't come here to watch you licking into my Godson's mouth."

Draco knew his face became fucking red. Merlin, did this man really need to say it like this?

"Oh, really? What a pity then," Harry muttered into Draco's hair.

"Kreacher is very sorry to interrupt, but Kreacher is so happy to see his Half-blood Master finally finding his courage and–"

"Shut up, you damn thing," Harry muttered again, snorting quietly.

"–and making young Master Black so happy!" Kreacher paid no attention to his Master's words and was looking very happy himself. "Do Masters want a cake for the dinner? Kreacher can bake very good chocolate cakes, Master Regulus did like them a lot."

"Kreacher, bake whatever the hell you want, just make sure there will be enough for everyone, okay?" Harry said tiredly.

The elf bowed, muttering something about his Master Regulus and old dear Mistress, and then busied himself at the kitchen counter.

"Potter, before you decide to tell anything to Draco, I need to talk to you alone," Severus said frowning. "Are you saying that you are still able to see– to see into his mind?"

"What? Harry, you're having visions again?" Granger came to them, her voice and face full of worry, but Harry just shrugged at her like he did at Severus' question two seconds earlier.

"I will be waiting in the library," Severus said and walked out of the kitchen.

"Harry, why didn't you tell anything?" Granger continued her interrogation, looming above them. "This is serious, Harry. There was a reason Professor Dumbledore wanted you to learn how to block th–"

"Hermione, it's much more than just these stupid visions, okay?" Harry cut her off with a sigh, loosening his hands around Draco's waist and allowing him to slide off his lap and onto the chair next to him.

"What do you mean? Harry–" she gasped and glanced over her shoulder at Weasley, who was currently walking out of the pantry and chewing a half loaf of bread . "Does it somehow concern whatever Professor Snape is searching about Horcruxes?"

"Harry?" Draco called him when Harry didn't answer and just stared at the table.

"I really need to talk to Snape first," he muttered.

"Harry, are you in some danger?" Granger asked anxiously.

"When Harry wasn't in any danger, 'Mione?" Weasley came to them chewing and received a rather hard glare from Granger while Draco looked away with disgust.

"We'll talk later, guys, I need to go to Snape," Harry said standing up from the table. "You'll be in your room?" he asked turning to Draco and brushing Draco's hair from the side of his face.

"In my lab," Draco answered quietly and Harry leaned down to kiss him in the corner of his lips.

He hugged Granger who was still trying to ask him something and patted Weasley on his back, before walking out of the kitchen.

After he left, Granger turned to Draco looking like she was ready to interrogate him too, so Draco stood up quickly and walked through the kitchen and then into the hall leading to his lab.

He spent a few hours working on his potions, even had Kreacher coming to him with a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits. The elf happily informed him that his Master told him that "from now he may listen to young Master Black's orders, but still not letting him out of the house, Kreacher is very sorry but Kreacher wants young Master Black to be safe too".

When Harry finally came to him (with scowling Severus in tow), Draco was rearranging some of the equipment and it was almost dinner time. Draco suddenly felt very hungry after he realized that eggs and toasts that Harry made them for breakfast and Kreacher's biscuits were all he ate for the whole day.

"Mister Potter wanted me to ask you if you are in need for some ingredients, Draco," Severus said when he stepped into the room.

Harry grinned widely at him then walked to Draco and took the large copper cauldron from his hands.

"Thanks," Draco said quietly and smiled when Harry placed the cauldron exactly where Draco wanted it to be.

"I don't have all day," Draco's Godfather growled impatiently.

"You've already spent half of it in here, relax Severus," Harry said with a grin, casually sprawling on one of the benches and looking as gorgeous as always.

Severus coughed a little and when Draco turned to look at him he was looking kind of dazed and his cheeks were slightly pink, it was actually very amusing.

Draco asked him for Billywig stings, Chizpurfle carapace and fangs and Wartcap powder. There were enough different ingredients in Black's reserve and Harry had brought him a lot of herbs, so it wasn't like he was actually in need for something.

"I will see what I can do," Severus said and walked out of the room.

The next moment Harry's hands were on Draco's hips and Harry's mouth was on Draco's neck.

"Harry," Draco whispered, tilting his head to the side.

Harry turned him around and then Harry's lips were on his and he felt like he was losing his mind; Harry's kisses were overwhelmingly hot and passionate. Harry's hands were hot too and also very impatient, squeezing Draco's hips and pressing them to his, palming Draco's ass, stroking Draco's sides, cupping the back of Draco's head and tugging on his hair.

"You're so beautiful, baby," Harry murmured nosing behind Draco's ear.

Draco wasn't able to say something in return, so he just kissed Harry's neck, but then yelped rather embarrassingly when Harry suddenly lifted him up by the hips. He automatically hooked his legs around Harry's waist while Harry carried him in the direction of his worktable.

Draco barely had time to check that Harry wasn't about to seat him on one of his knives or some ingredients. But Harry was careful too and even cast a fucking _wandless_ Cleaning Charm before putting Draco down and positioning himself between Draco's spread thighs.

"What in hell were you and Severus doing in that damn library that you became so mad and horny, Potter?" Draco tried to drawl, but it came out more breathlessly than was intended.

"I'm always mad and horny when you're around, baby," Harry replied with a smirk, sliding his big palms up Draco's arched back.

Draco blushed like an idiot and kissed that stupid smirk off Harry's lips, pressing his body into Harry's as much as possible, drowning in the sensations of Harry's lips and hands on him.

Then Harry started kissing down Draco's throat and all Draco could do was moaning helplessly. It was so unbelievable what Harry was able to do to him just with his hands and mouth, half a time Draco was sure it all had to be some fever dream.

Harry's mouth reached the collar of Draco's shirt and one of Harry's hands was unsuccessfully trying to undo the buttons, Harry was too impatient to stop the kiss and do it properly.

Draco laughed when Harry cursed and removed his other hand from Draco's ass to help himself. Draco leaned back on his hands and bit his lip, watching Harry fumbling with the buttons.

"Potter!" he cried out when Harry just ripped his shirt half open, but Harry ignored him and bit slightly on Draco's collarbone before he started sucking on it.

One of Harry's hands was around Draco's waist, holding him close, and the other was on Draco's thigh, holding his leg, while Harry was thrusting into him, bringing their hard cocks together with every thrust and making Draco moan so loud that he was sure even bloody Death Eaters in the square could hear him if it wasn't for Fidelius Charms on the house.

Draco hadn't even noticed for a while that one of his hands was in Harry's hair, tugging on them and making them messier than they had already been.

Low grunting sounds Harry was making with every thrust, the way he was devouring Draco's neck and Draco's collarbones, the feeling of his large hands on Draco's slim body – all of this was so incredibly overwhelming, Draco wasn't sure he would be able to live through one more minute of this, but at the same time he was sure he never wanted it to end.

"Harry," Draco whined and clutched at his shoulders. "Harry, I'm– I'm about to–"

"Yeah, baby, me too," Harry said and kissed his mouth, swallowing Draco's helpless moans and whimpers. "Do it," Harry whispered against Draco's lips. "Come, baby," he kissed him again. "Come for me, Draco."

And then Draco was crying out Harry's name and coming hard in his pants and somehow it didn't make him feel pathetic or embarrassed.

Harry stilled after a moment too, his face buried in Draco's neck and both of his hands squeezing Draco's ass.

"Fuck," Draco heard Harry's voice. "Fuck, baby, you're the best," Harry kissed his neck gently.

They stayed like this for a while, just hugging each other close. Draco's hands were around Harry's neck, his head resting on Harry's shoulder, and Harry's hands were around Draco, holding him gently but firmly.

After a few minutes Draco heard Harry whispering a Cleaning Charm and the uncomfortable wetness in his pants was gone. He lifted his head and smiled at Harry, who immediately kissed him, smiling too.

"What was that about?" Draco asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, Harry," Draco said, tightening his hands around Harry’s neck and his legs around Harry’s hips, when Harry wanted to turn away from him. "Severus' news were good, I guess? So now will you tell me what all that was about?"

"It’s not simple, baby," Harry cupped Draco's cheek and stroked it gently with his thumb. "And though Snape is absolutely sure, I'm not really that certain this shit is actually over," he sighed heavily and rested his forehead against Draco's, closing his eyes. "I'm still not free from him, I still can get into his sick head if I want to and I still can feel his fucking emotions. And I hate it, I hate it so fucking much, and I can't do a single thing about it."

"May be I could help you, if you–"

"Draco, you're absolutely amazing, great and very smart, but I doubt you can do much if even Severus–"

"Potter, I'm Black," Draco interrupted him. "Well, half-Black, but it should be enough. What if I would be able to find something in this library? I know Severus is super genius, but I'm sure Blacks knew how to hide their secrets well. I know blood magic. And maybe I will know where to look."

Harry stared at him for really long time and Draco was afraid to say something, he thought Harry was finally considering to tell Draco whatever it was they were hiding with Severus.

But suddenly Kreacher appeared in the middle of the lab, saying that dinner was ready and that they should hurry to the kitchen "or that barbaric Weasley boy will eat absolutely everything".

Harry kissed Draco one more time and promised to talk to him after dinner. Draco wasn't sure if that meant that Harry would finally tell him everything, but he decided not to push further for now. So he asked him to tell what they found out from that Fletcher instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and sorry for any mistakes ❤


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